Featured Image Credit: HBO
Topics: Film and TV, Gaming, LGBTQ
Emily Brown
**Warning: Contains spoilers**
The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsay has spoken out after gay storylines in the hit HBO show were met with criticism from some viewers.
Ramsay, 19, was the focus of the most recent episode of The Last Of Us, which aired last night (26 February) and offered fans an insight to her character's life before she set off across the country with Joel.
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Episode seven showed Ellie hanging out with her best friend, Riley (Storm Reid). It followed the pair as they explored a mall and went on the carousel before they shared a kiss, after which they were attacked by an Infected.
The storyline is not the first display of a same-sex relationship in the show, with viewers previously having been introduced to Bill and Frank's relationship in episode three.
Same-sex relationships should not be a radical thing to see on TV, and yet still the inclusion of them in The Last Of Us prompted homophobic backlash.
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Ramsay, who identifies as non-binary and told GQ she doesn’t mind what pronouns are used for her, told Sky News it was 'bizarre' that people were opposing the stories, adding: "The climate emergency and stuff, there are so many more important things to be worried about than two people in love kissing on a screen."
Responding to the criticisms the relationships have received, the actor continued: "Why wouldn't there be gay storylines in a show like this? I'm so glad that HBO are doing it, and I know it was something that [co-creator] Craig [Mazin] was really passionate about.
"It's in the game, like the Ellie and Riley stories in the game and Bill and Frank is hinted at in the game. I think it's really cool. Just because of the apocalypse doesn't mean that gay people don't exist."
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Reid also backed Ramsay's comments as she stressed the importance of inclusion, telling Sky: "People love each other, and love is love. So, if you can't accept that, then I don't know where you're going to be able to find space of comfortability anywhere in the world, because people are people and are living in their truth. And I think that's beautiful."
She went on to say that no matter what kind of comments the stars get in reaction to the show, those involved in The Last of Us 'know what [they're] doing', and 'know what the purpose is'.
Show co-creator Neil Druckmann, who also developed the video game for The Last Of Us, has previously expressed belief that the relationship between Bill and Frank as it was depicted in the game 'went over a lot of people's heads'.
"At the time, [the subtlety is] what helped get it in," he said. "It's sad to say, but it would have been controversial otherwise."
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The Last Of Us video game was released in 2013, a decade before the arrival of the TV series.