How did the idea of Peppermint Patty and Marcie = lesbians get started?

Since we're on a cartoon kick....and since Velma was mentioned in the earlier thread.

Who started the concept that Peppermint Patty and Marcie were lesbians? It's sort of the "Bert and Ernie are gay" of comic strip characters although I think PP and Marcie were adopted as gay symbols vs. having some fundies assign it to them.

Anyone who ever followed the comic strip or animated specials knows that Peppermint Patty has a major unrequited crush on Chuck and the strip played at times with a triangle between CB, PP and M with CB being the meat between PP and Marcie's bread.

At best I'd acknowledge a possible Burns/Smithers situation with Marcie playing Smithers to PP's Burns but the lesbian angle is totally removed from reality.
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Yes, work is that slow that I actually had time to comtemplate this.

at least her look was, mabey not her personality.

I remember that every once in a while, he's show part of a "Peanuts" cartoon with "new lines"....

I never knew! Are you serious?

...she keeps calling Peppermint Patty "sir".

Hee Hee...

that's been one of their tired 'jokes' for years