When he returns to Derry 27 years later, we find out Richie had been in love with Eddie, who dies, which devastates Richie, but leads him to accept who he is and re-carve his and Eddie's initials on the kissing bridge that he had carved when he was 13. Just as in the 1967 film, Carmen is the confidente of Roger De Bris.
The film franchise is based on the television series of the same name, and the changing of the character's original sexual orientation from heterosexual to gay led George Takei to express his disappointment with the decision.