What is a lesbian dad? 'The Last of Us' outrages Republicans

A recent episode of The Last of Ushas introduced conservatives to the concept of a lesbian dad — and they are not handling it well.

The fourth episode of season two sees Dina (Isabela Merced) reveal her pregnancy to Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Ellie handles her girlfriend’s pregnancy much better than she does in the game, responding, "So we’re having a baby. I mean, we — and also I guess Jesse are…it was Jesse, right?"

When Dina’s expression seems to confirm the assumption, Ellie continues: "So we’re all having a baby. Holy shit. I’m gonna be a dad."

Naturally, that one line was all it took to send homophobic conservatives into a tailspin.

"There is a reason I am not watching this Woke show," wrote an X user named @RetiredSubVet1. "Is Hollywood ever going to stop pandering to the minority?"

Another complained that, "This is exactly why so many of us are concerned about the direction our culture is heading. We need to get back to common sense and traditional values."

In The Last of Us, it’s unclear as to whether Ellie actually wants to be called "dad" by her girlfriend’s unborn baby or whether it was just a cute little joke. But with transphobia being the hot topic among conservatives in modern society, haters were quick to latch on to the comment as super serious and more "proof" that "woke Hollywood" is legitimately trying to confuse people as to how babies are made.

Of course, ultimately, all the uproar proves is that these people don't care how stupid they look warping the meaning of something that's very obvious to everyone else.

So let's dig into it for the willfully ignorant (and the genuinely curious) — what is a "lesbian dad?"

Not to be confused with "lesbian daddies," which are a decidedly different beast, lesbian dads are just lesbians who feel more comfortable using the term dad rather than mom in a parenting situation.

They might be more masculine presenting and they may be the non-biological parent within the couple. They also may prefer to take on the more traditionally fatherly roles, like building the crib or taking the kids camping. Ultimately, none of these are requirements. The only requirement is that "dad" is a term they like to use.

And it’s not a new term, either. Just like lesbian boyfriends and lesbian husbands, lesbian dads have been around for as long as lesbians have existed and dared to mess around with gender roles.

Within the context of The Last of Us, most people understood this, despite bigots' determination to be upset over literally nothing.

"I believe this was something that people would call a “joke”. It’s when something is said or done to provoke laughter or amusement from an audience. If you have any further questions I’m here to help!"

"if there’s one thing about rightwingers that’s always consistent it’s that they get too angry to understand the concept of a joke"

"maga is upset a fictional lesbian character from a video game says she is going to be a dad."

"Did yall have a problem when SpongeBob did this over 20 years ago?"

"“holy shit i’m gonna be a dad.” is one of the most ellie coded things she could’ve said omfg y’all get mad at anything"

"Conservatives really do look at entertainment at just a surface level and take nothing in. Ellie makes dumb jokes around people she cares for. She did it in the games, did it in the 1st season. Media literacy you dipshits!"

Unfortunately for those who remain determined to be upset over a lesbian making a comment about being the "dad," Ellie is, in fact, a fictional character and is unlikely to be bothered by their outrage. And it shouldn't stop all the real life lesbians and sapphic women who prefer to be called "dad" from using the term just because some losers on the internet need a new hobby.