Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Nick Offerman used his time on stage at the Independent Spirit Awards to slam the slew of hateful comments his character received for being gay in an episode of The Last of Us, thanking HBO for “having the guts” to tell the story despite backlash from homophobes.
Offerman didn’t mince his words in the speech, which came after he was awarded best supporting performance in a new scripted series for his role in the hit show.
“Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent,” he said. “Stories with guts, that 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.’ It’s not a gay story. It’s a love story, you asshole.”