How Nick Offerman responded to a homophobic meme of his 'Parks and Rec' character
Ron Swanson once had some harsh words for frozen yogurt, calling it the "celery of desserts." But actor Nick Offerman had even harsher words for Michael Flynn Jr.
The son of former national security advisor Michael Flynn adapted a "Parks and Recreation" meme of Offerman's character to diss Pride Month.
A popular animated GIF of Offerman on the show, set in the fictional Pawnee, Indiana, shows his character throwing his computer in a dumpster. The version Flynn Jr. posted to X has a rainbow flag over the computer.
Offerman wasn't having it.
"Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f---. #HappyPride," Offerman wrote in response to Flynn's post.
Offerman has a long history of calling out homophobia. A decade ago, after then-Gov. Mike Pence signed the Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law, he and his wife, Megan Mullaly, canceled an Indiana stop on their tour.
Offerman also had a solo show scheduled at Indiana University, and he kept that date, donating his proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.
Advocates were concerned that Indiana's RFRA law would allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ people under the guise of protecting the right to practice religion.
In 2023, the "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" actor starred in an acclaimed episode of "The Last of Us" as Bill, a gruff survivalist who falls in love with Frank, played by Murray Bartlett. Speaking with i News, Offerman shared that he received "a lot of homophobic hate" about the episode via social media, despite critics hailing it as a highlight of the season.
When Offerman won a Film Independent Spirit Award for the role in 2024, he called out this homophobic hate in his speech.
"When homophobic hate comes my way and says, 'Why did you have to make it a gay story?' we say, 'Because you ask questions like that,'" he said, adding, "It's not a gay story, it's a love story."
RFRA a decade later: The inside story on how a Pence-era bill created a crisis in Indiana
In Season 4, Episode 9 of "Parks and Recreation," Ron is confused about personalized ads showing up on his computer. Horrified to learn that the computer knows who he is, and that his home appears on Google Maps, Ron takes his computer outside and throws it in the dumpster.
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