Outraged Nick Offerman Calls Out Anti-Gay 'Parks And Rec' Joke With Blunt NSFW Clapback

Nick Offerman is making it clear that there’s no room for hate, especially not during Pride Month.

The "Parks and Recreation" star responded to a video circulating on social media over the weekend in which his beloved character Ron Swanson appeared to throw a Pride flag into a dumpster.

The doctored clip was shared by Michael Flynn Jr., son of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, with the caption, “Good morning and Happy Sunday! Just wanted to post how I feel about ‘Pride’ month.”

The post quickly sparked backlash online, including from Nick Offerman himself.

“Ron was best man at a gay wedding you dumb f-ck. #HappyPride,” the Emmy-winning actor fired back in a blunt tweet on Monday, referencing the season 7 finale of the NBC comedy in which Swanson proudly served as best man at his hairdresser’s wedding to Craig Middlebrooks (Billy Eichner).

Someone else echoed this statement by sharing a photo from the beloved comedy. "He was literally the best man at a gay wedding in the show but go on," they said.

Flynn was not phased by the backlash received as in a follow-up post, he shared, "I love how triggered the ABC Mafia crowd is by this meme. Keep the comments coming. It will be great bathroom reading material for the next week."

Offerman has long been an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, both on and off-screen. In fact, in 2023, he earned critical acclaim and an Emmy for his powerful portrayal of Bill, a gay survivalist who finds unexpected love in HBO’s "The Last of Us."

“Wow, thank you so much. I’m astonished to be in this category, which is bananas,” Offerman said when he took the stage, per EW. “Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent."

He added, "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 a--hole!'”

In the HBO hit series, Offerman's Bill is a hardened survivalist who fortifies his town following a deadly fungal outbreak that turns people into zombies. In the standout episode titled “A Long, Long Time,” Bill encounters Frank (played by Murray Bartlett), a stranger who stumbles into one of his traps, sparking a poignant love story as the two form a deep connection while navigating life in a post-apocalyptic world.

"Because there were some same-sex storylines in the show, it received a lot of homophobic hate, and I received a lot pointed specifically at me on social media," Offerman said of the show. "It is literally discriminating against people for wanting to love each other."

He then admitted that his first impulse is "to shake my fist and say, ‘Hey, you’re an a--hole’ but then my second impulse is, ‘Wait a second. Am I doing that also? And where? And to whom?’"

The moment comes on the heels of devastating news for the "Parks and Rec" family.

Offerman’s former co-star Jonathan Joss, who played Chief Ken Hotate in several episodes of the series, was tragically shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas, on June 1. Joss’s husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, claimed the murder was a hate crime, though police have stated they found “no evidence” to support that theory at this time.

“The cast has been texting together about it all day and we’re just heartbroken,” Offerman told PEOPLE in a statement. “Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate. A terrible tragedy.”

As the LGBTQ+ community continues to be celebrated throughout the month of June, Offerman’s passionate response reminds fans why his voice remains one of the most respected in Hollywood, on and off the screen.