On paper, The Golden Bachelorette (like all shows in the Bachelor franchise) is about as hetero as television can get. But on this week’s episode of the senior dating show, queer folks found their way into the mix, thanks to a heartfelt story from one of the hopeful suitors.
During the episode, Golden Bachelorette herself Joan Vassos was having a one-on-one chat with 66-year-old chiropractor Bob, one of the men hoping to get engaged to her at the end of the season. The conversation turned to Bob’s children, and specifically, his child’s queer identity as a lesbian.
“I learned about Bob’s daughter, and the thing that strikes me most about Bob is how accepting he is,” Vassos said in a confessional.
Bob then revealed that not only is his child a lesbian, but he hosts their fellow lesbian friends at his home for family holidays. “Now it’s to the point where Thanksgiving comes around, and it’s Dr. Bob and 27 lesbians,” he said. “The Marina Peninsula Home for Wayward Lesbians.”
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That’s where TikToker Lilly Brown (@lilly27sings) comes in. After sharing the clip from the show, she revealed her personal connection in a now viral video: “I am one of Bob’s wayward lesbians,” Brown said. “And I will say, there is no daughter involved: Bob has two nonbinary kids.”
From there, Brown proved that Bob was telling the truth, sharing pictures of big groups of lesbians celebrating with Bob on Thanksgiving and on the Fourth of July, along with a pic of the quote-enquote “OG group of Bob’s lesbians.”
“As you can see, they take it very seriously,” Brown pointed out. “They made themselves jerseys.”
Brown continued that Bob gets along so well with lesbians, in fact, that he even married one. “One thing the show failed to mention is Bob’s ex-wife is a lesbian too,” she said. “We love you, Bob!”
Unfortunately, Bob didn’t get as much love from the bachelorette herself as he’s getting from the gays on TikTok. Spoiler alert: he was eliminated by Vassos at the end of the episode, sending him back to the Marina Peninsula Home for Wayward Lesbians. Rest assured, though — Bob’s earned himself a new legion of queer fans. We’d wager that’s worth much more than a rose.
The Golden Bachelorette airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Check out the season’s trailer below.
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