Was richie gay in it

Even though Richie from IT isn't gay in the books, which were written during a time in which being LGTBQ+ was less permissible, it ultimately doesn't matter, and the horror film handled this aspect of the character with aplomb.

The idea of Richie being gay is not completely absent from the book version of IT. Stephen King did hint at Richie's sexuality subtly throughout the text, but it was screenwriter Gary Dauberman's decision to make it more of a storyline in the movie.