The Thursday announcement that Archie Comics will add a gay student to Riverdale High in September is being received warmly.

Kevin Keller will debut in No. 202 of Veronica Comics.

In a panel of Isn't it Bromantic? released by the publisher, Kevin comes out to Jughead after he's defeated Jughead in a burger eating contest at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe.

“Watch out for her, Kevin,” Jughead says referring to Veronica. “She's a royal pain.”

“She's not so bad,” Kevin responds. “I'm just not interested in dating her.”

Jughead insists: “Veronica's not going to let that stop her!”

“It's nothing against her! I'm gay!” Kevin says. “I guess I should just be up front!”

Instead of acting surprised, Jughead wonders how long it will take Veronica to “figure it out for herself!”

“When Jughead finds out, he acts like it's no big deal,” Dennis Ayers, who blogs at gay entertainment website AfterElton.com, told AOL news. “It's great that a comic book that is so wholesome and white bread is treating being gay as if it's a perfectly normal American thing.”

Jon Goldwater, co-CEO of Archie Comics, said the inclusion of a gay character is part of an ongoing effort to contemporize the comic book, which debuted in the 1940s. The comic revolves around a love triangle between Archie Andrews and classmates Betty and Veronica.

“The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive,” Goldwater said in a statement. “Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books.”

Other gay culture watchers cheered Archie Comics for making Kevin's sexuality secondary to the story.

“We have to see how he develops,” Lyle Masaki, another AfterElton.com blogger, said. “He needs to have something that makes him human. As I understand it, the debut story is more about Veronica's cluelessness.”

Goldwater said Kevin's introduction has been warmly received.

“[Having a gay character] is a huge sign of progress,” he said. “The world is a huge melting pot and Riverdale is a reflection of what's going on. It also reflects what is going on in American high schools. Kids are warmer and more accepting than ever.”

Gay Entertainment Report is a feature of On Top Magazine and can be reached at ontopmag@ontopmag.com.