Adamo Ruggiero joins "Dog Sees God" ... and just how gay are The Peanuts?

Gay Degrassi star Adamo Ruggiero's next acting gig will be on the Toronto stage in a production of the Peanuts-inspired Dog Sees God. The cynical comedy asks what might happen to the iconic Peanuts characters if they grew up to become contemporary teens.

Charlie Brown (or "CB") is contemplating life and death after his dog died, his sister is now a goth, and his best friend has traded his security blanket for Harold and Kumar's favorite herb.

Ruggiero plays Van, the Linus character, who is still thoughtful and philosophical but has also become a stoner in his teen years, a role that was originated by  Daniel Franzese, has played gay in the past and has been in plenty of gay-themed projects (Bully, Party Monster, Mean Girls).

Adamo is accompanied by his Degrassi castmates Jake Epstein, Mike Lobel and Paula Bracati. Considering that the Off-Broadway production of Dog Sees God included performers with a gay following like Franzese, Eliza Dushku, Ian Somerhalder, and America Ferrera, a cast heavy on Degrassi faves seems apt.

The Peanuts Gang of course inspired their own Broadway musical decades back (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and their continued appeal to gay folks led us to wonder:

Which member of the Peanuts Gang is most likely to be gay?

More gay Peanuts trivia and our guesses, after the break. 

The cast of the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

In 1999, a Broadway revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown featured out actor Anthony Rapp as Charlie Brown and out actor BD Wong as Linus. (That was also the show that got people to notice gay fave Kristin Chenoweth.)

The iconic Peanuts characters have long held the affections of gay audiences, something that has often led to people speculating about which kid in Charlie Brown's neighborhood might grow up to come out. I'd say that's partly because Charles Schulz's creations are so relatable for readers from a variety of backgrounds. However, Justin Suarez aside, you don't often see child characters where gay audiences can see their younger selves. The Peanuts characters certainly had traits that could empathise with.

The sensitive and emotionally-fragile Charlie Brown was always an outsider, pushed aside for taking a different path by the rest of the gang, something many gays can recall from their own childhoods. Sure, he seemed to be nursing a crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl, but his shyness made sure he wouldn't end up challenging that crush.

Linus was always tuned in to the emotions of his friends ... or at least the ones not named Sally or Lucy. Supposedly, Sally's clinginess would leave Linus cringing, but maybe it wasn't just Sally's clinginess that made him uneasy but a realization that he wouldn't be able to give Sally the kind of relationship she wanted. However, around Lucy, Linus could show bitchy (or, as Lucy would say, crabby) side, using his mind to battle her greater physical strength.

The artistically-inclined Schroeder certainly remind some gays of their own artistically-inclined youths. Besides that, there was something about his hero-worship of Beethoven that seemed like a bit more than just admiration; maybe it was the way he'd sometimes carry that bust wrapped up in his arms or maybe the way he was much more interested in his piano than the amourous attention of Lucy. The writer of Dog Meets God agreed with this bit of speculation as the play asks if the young musician might be gay.

And then there's Peppermint Patty and Marcie, who have inspired plenty of jokes that presume the two grow up to become a couple. Both Patty and Marcie were tomboys among the Peanuts crew, and stood out for wearing shorts and a t-shirt instead of a dress like the other girls. More importantly, the way they were inseperable despite driving each other crazy is a dynamic of many couples.

Which Peanuts character sets off your gaydar? What left you seeing him as growing up to come out? Was it because they had traits you shared as a child?