We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. In various storylines in Archie Comics, Jughead is an asexual character, but his on-screen counterpart is currently in a long-term and very complicated relationship with Betty Cooper.
There is still a huge lack of asexual characters on TV today, something Riverdale had the chance to address back when it premiered in 2017. While GLAAD does note an increase in bisexual+ characters on the small screen, it does still show that not all of the LGBTQ+ community is seeing an increase in representation. Riverdale and Jane the Virgin spin-offs under wayĪs a result of the show's many betrayals and general atmosphere of mistrust, bisexual+ men are often seen wielding their sexuality to try and get a leg up in whatever drama is currently unfolding.Ĭhic's often flirtatious behaviour masks ambiguous motives, leading many to question whether he might be 'gay-for-pay', living out elaborate fantasies to earn money and information.Īt least in the case of Joaquin, the show has attempted to show his softer side as his relationship with Kevin has developed with them even sharing a dance at the Riverdale High School prom until, as previously mentioned, he was murdered in season three.Īnd then there's the Jughead-shaped elephant in the room. Joaquin often falls back on the tired stereotype that bisexual+ people use their sexuality as a means to seduce and manipulate information out of others. Even in a show with a wide variety of queer characters, depictions of its bi+ men can often fall into the same tired and harmful tropes that have plagued bisexual+ representation for decades.
Life in Riverdale for bisexual+ characters isn't always all it's cracked up to be, though. The moral of the story? In Riverdale, men can be gay, straight or anything in between. Then there's Southside Serpent Fangs Fogarty and pretend Cooper sibling Chic, who have both flirted with men and women throughout their time on the show, with Chic's actor Hart Denton suggesting to Entertainment Weekly that "he loves anything and everything, he's all about everybody", hinting at an attraction that goes beyond gender. Moose had previously been in a relationship with the late Midge Klump before her untimely murder and his ongoing relationship with Kevin has allowed the show to depict the fluidity of his sexuality, something season four promises to develop even further. Not only has he seen Joaquin leave town due to his involvement in Jason Blossom's murder and then go on to get sacrificed himself, but his ongoing relationship with the closeted Moose has caused him his fair share of headaches.
Speaking of Kevin, Riverdale's resident boy-next-door has seen his share of heartbreak. Where things get more complicated is in the show's representation of its male bisexual+ characters.
Riverdale, for all its failings, is a show trying to represent relationships of all shapes, with 'Choni' being a prime example of a loving same-sex couple. Related: Riverdale season 4 – everything you need to know From the murder of her twin to gay 'cure' therapy, Cheryl saw her fair share of tragedy before finding support in her relationship with Toni. Riverdale's own mean girl Cheryl Blossom has gone through quite the journey on her way to her realising her sexuality and starting a relationship with a bisexual character, Toni Topaz. Used by GLAAD in its report on LGBTQ+ representation on TV, bi+ includes people who identify as bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer and more. Riverdaleis anything but subtle and, in some cases, its representation of LGBTQ+ people can be clumsy and harmful, but where the show excels is in its inclusion of bisexual+ characters.īisexual+ is an umbrella term encompassing people with the capacity to be attracted to more than one gender.