It's official: Velma, as she appeared in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, is a lesbian. While she does date Shaggy in the series, many fans over the years have believed Velma to be either bisexual or a lesbian for a number of reasons, with a large amount of fan art, fan fiction and other commentary suggesting that Velma and Daphne should enter into a relationship.
The following characters are a handful of the best animated queer characters, some of which had their sexualities revealed later in the show or by creators, just as with Velma.
Oscar Francois de Jarjayes - The Rose of Versailles
One of the first openly queer characters in animation, Lady Oscar from The Rose of Versailles is undeniably one of the most influential. Raised from birth as a boy, Oscar is a playboy living in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Oscar frequently flirts with young maidens, all while blurring the boundaries of gender with her often male-presenting attire. Oscar remains an eternally relevant character, with several queer cartoon characters drawing influence from her, such as Utena from Revolutionary Girl Utena and Pearl from Steven Universe.
Garnet and Pearl - Steven Universe
There are numerous LGBTQ+ characters in Steven Universe; however, Pearl and Garnet have been the most prominent from the start. Pearl loves Rose Quartz, and while at first Pearl's relationship with Rose could be seen as platonic, over the course of the series, fans see Pearl's interest in Rose as romantic. Meanwhile, Garnet embodies love as the fusion of two female-presenting Gems, Ruby and Sapphire, who were in a relationship before the series started, but their existence is kept a secret until Season 1's finale, "Jail Break." From there, Ruby and Sapphire get engaged and married on screen, which was a milestone in queer representation, earning the show a GLADD award.
Todd Chavez - BoJack Horseman
Often overlooked in the LGBTQ+ community and mainstream media are those who identify as asexual. Asexual individuals are underrepresented in queer discourse, which made it refreshing when BoJack Horseman presented a frank, sincere depiction of asexuality in the form of Todd Chavez. What makes Todd an interesting case is that he realizes he is asexual over the course of the series, slowly coming to terms with it after wondering where he fits in. The arc is incredibly relatable to many asexuals.
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune - Sailor Moon
For many animation enthusiasts, Sailor Uranus and Neptune might have been their first exposure to a same-sex couple on screen. The pair first appeared in Sailor Moon's third arc, Sailor Moon S, with Haruka (Uranus) as successful car enthusiast and Michiru (Neptune) as an accomplished violinist. Both overtly express interest in women and have electric chemistry together; however, Haruka flirts with men and women, so she may be bisexual or pansexual, but Michiru is exclusively into women. Furthermore, Haruka is also non-binary, with characters mentioning in the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal that Haruka is, "both male and female, but also neither."
Howard and Harold McBride - The Loud House
A new trope for some contemporary cartoons is to feature same-sex parents as tertiary characters. One of the most noteworthy examples of this comes with Howard and Harold McBride, an interracial, same-sex couple and the adoptive parents of Clyde, one of the main characters. The two stand as perfect foils of one another, with Howard being over-emotional and Harold being calm and collected. The representation has drawn tons of praise from audiences all over for being a positive, developed portrayal of same-sex parents.
Touya and Yukito - Cardcaptor Sakura
There are numerous queer characters in Cardcaptor Sakura. In fact, arguably no one is straight; however, of all the characters in the show, the most memorable relationship remains that between Touya and Yukito. Sakura's aloof and aggressive elder brother is best friends with the sincere and sweet Yukito. While many members of the cast, especially future couple Sakura and Syaoran, fight for Yukito's affection, he ultimately falls in love with Touya. For many, it's one of the most memorable romances in the series, outside of Sakura's eventual relationship with Syaoran.
Waylon Smithers - The Simpsons
Waylon Smithers is a recurring character on The Simpsons, being the lackey to Homer's boss, Mr. Burns. Numerous jokes throughout the series implied that Smithers might be gay, but these jokes at Smithers' expense ended up leading to the canon confirmation of Smither's homosexuality twenty-six seasons into The Simpsons. While this representation is a landmark in adult animation, it's undeniable that it took arguably too much time for the showrunners to confirm Smithers' sexuality after making jokes about it for decades.
Yuuri and Victor - Yuri on Ice!!!
When touching upon the various queer characters to appear in animation, anime offers an abundance of characters to choose; however, few LGBTQ+ friendly anime gained the popularity of Yuri on Ice!!!, in part because the relationship between ice skaters Yuri and Victor remains one of the most emotionally resonant and beautiful in anime. Discouraged bisexual figure skater Yuuri is trained by his idol, Victor. What makes the relationship work so well is how each character plays off one another as foils and mutual units of support. It's an emotionally raw, resonant anime with a satisfying pay off.
Adora and Catra - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Much like Steven Universe, the reboot of She-Ra features multiple queer characters. While many, like Bow's dads, Spinnerella and Netossa, are supporting characters, many people were surprised when main heroine Adora ended up partnering up with her best friend and enemy Catra. The two had unresolved romantic and sexual tension throughout the series, leading to fans speculating they were queer. However, it was still a surprise to have their feelings for each other confirmed in the Season 5's finale with a powerful kiss and the two becoming a couple.