Attention Haters: "The Last of Us," Has Always Had LGBTQ+ Themes

I played and loved the first, "The Last of Us," video-game, and my wife enjoyed watching it. I skipped playing the second game because at the time it was released my life was not in a good place due to a variety of losses (although I may mentally be in a place now to enjoy it). Anyone who played the games is well aware of the fact that they've had plenty of LGBTQ+ themes. Joel's business acquaintance, Bill, was gay. DLC for the first game and the sequel made it clear that Ellie is attracted to women. I've seen people online saying how, "'The Last of Us,' was always loaded with Queer themes," and they are 100% correct. The thing is, a lot of people didn't play the games that the new HBO show draws from. This has resulted in unwarranted and silly backlash.

Complaining that the television version of, "The Last of Us," has added a bunch of, "Woke," elements or is forcing us to see LGBTQ+ characters is absurd because the source material always had that. It is equivalent to whining that the, "Jurassic Park," movie added a bunch of dinosaurs when they adapted the book--the themes were always there as clearly as a T-Rex. I would think the fact LGBTQ+ people exist and find love--whether it is in the real World or a fictional one full of fungus zombies--shouldn't be controversial. Yet that is the World these days.