You know gay’s a wholesome TV staple when one of the Springfield residents comes out. In January, a beloved Simpsons character will be revealed as an ass bandit in the series’ 16th season, reports eonline.com. “We have a show where, to raise money, Springfield legalizes gay marriage,” producer Al Jean said last weekend at the Comic-Con in San Diego. “Homer becomes a minister by going on the Internet and filling out a form. A longtime character comes out of the closet, but I’m not saying who.” Show creator Matt Groening joked that Homer will be the homo – d’oh! – but it could be Mr. Burns’ long-suffering toadie, Waylon Smithers, who collects Malibu Stacy dolls – or even Ned Flanders.

According to online fan scuttlebutt, there are other characters who might be secretly having a gay old time in Springfield, including Homer’s regular-guy cohorts at the nuclear plant, Carl and Lenny, as well as Moe the bartender, the Reverend Lovejoy, Principal Skinner and Comic Book Guy. Of course, the producers didn’t rule out a lesbian wedding, either.