Nick Offerman says no homophobia, ever. Especially at the start of Pride month.
The Parks and Recreation star brutally clapped back at a social media user who decided to use a doctored clip from the series to spread a homophobic message on Monday.
Michael Flynn Jr., son of retired Army lieutenant general Michael Flynn, who served as U.S. national security advisor for 22 days during Donald Trump’s first term before resigning in disgrace, shared a clip depicting Offerman’s Parks character, Ron Swanson, throwing a rainbow flag into a dumpster on Sunday, the first day of LGBTQ Pride Month.
“Just wanted to post how I feel about ‘pride’ month,” he wrote.
The clip, which originates from the Parks fourth season episode “The Trial of Leslie Knope” actually depicts Swanson throwing his computer in the trash after becoming enraged by constant intrusions into his online privacy. But clip shared by Flynn Jr. superimposed a Pride flag over the computer. The edit that infuriated Offerman just as much as computers infuriate Swanson.
“Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f—,” he wrote in response, adding the hashtag, “#HappyPride.”
Though the character is known and loved for his grouchiness, Ron Swanson was always a friend to the queer community.
The episode that Offerman mentions is the series finale, “One Last Ride,” which includes a wedding between two minor characters, Typhoon (Rodney To), Ron’s hairdresser, and Pawnee Parks staffer Craig (Billy Eichner). Ron did indeed serve as Typhoon’s best man in one of the finale’s sweetest, most sincere moments.
NBC
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Offerman’s bold act of allyship comes not just amid the beginning of LGBTQ Pride Month, which is celebrated every June to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising and the launch of the modern queer rights movement, but on the same day as a member of the Parks family was the victim of an act of violence his husband characterized as homophobic.
Jonathan Joss, known for starring as Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Rec, died in a shooting on Sunday near his house in San Antonio. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed that their neighbor, identified by San Antonio police as Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, belonged to a group of people that regularly “harassed” the couple because “they did not accept our relationship.” Ceja allegedly began “yelling violent homophobic slurs” on Sunday before firing at and killing Joss.
An investigation into the incident is currently ongoing.