As a bisexual trans guy who really wants to be a dad and who has a really great dad myself, I have a lot of opinions about hot fathers. We’ve seen the lists of Pixar Dads We Want to Suck and Fuck (I’m looking at you, dad from Inside Out!) but I’m here to tell you about real, human fathers that I have deemed safe to thirst over this Father’s Day.
You’ll notice there are many men-who-are-famously-dads missing from this list, because this is not a list of famous men who are dads. No, this is a list of certifiably hot men who love being fathers and have respectable politics. They’re also men who I may look to for inspiration one day, if and when I become a father. They’re not perfect by any means, but they reflect a lot of the values and physical attributes that I like to see in a father.
If I have not listed your favorite hot dad, please, by all means, add them to the comment section and make sure to link their Instagram (for research).
Frank Alvarez
Frank co-hosts the Basement Yard podcast with Joe Santigato, which has become one of my favorite “boy discoveries” in transition. Best friends since grade school, both of these guys are great examples of healthy masculinity and are truly so funny. But Frank is a father of three and, as it appears to me, is a kick ass dad. He’s also a huge Wife Guy! And hot!
Dwyane Wade
Forget about his talent on the court and how sexy he is — Dwyane Wade is an exemplary father to his trans daughter, Zaya Wade. He has not only been incredibly vocal about his support of trans kids, but he has also put his money where his mouth is with the organization he founded with Zaya, Translatable.
Jason Ritter
Jason Ritter, or perhaps more commonly known to this audience as Melanie Lynskey’s husband, is a silly, goofy father with a heart of gold. He’s a sober king who loves to have fun and isn’t afraid to look the fool. Plus, that mustache!!!
Marlon Wayans
To be fair, all of the Wayans men are FINE, but I have to give a special shoutout to Marlon, who has a lesbian sister and trans kid. He’s incredibly supportive of both family members and the community at large. Sure, he sometimes takes it a tiny bit too far, but he’s a comedian, so it’s to be expected.
Dave Bautista
I’m going to go ahead and say it: I love Dave Bautista. I have never watched WWE, but I can respect what a legend he was in that sport. What I’m more interested in is Bautista’s venture into comedic acting and, more specifically, how great he is at it! Bautista is a stand up guy and father to three, and you can tell he’s got his shit together — perhaps because he was raised by a lesbian. And, ahem, muscles?!
Jesse Sullivan
Listen, we can all have our opinions about parenting-influencers and child-naming conventions, but two things are for certain: Jesse Sullivan loves the shit out of his kids, and he is insanely hot.
Mike Birbiglia
HEAR ME OUT, PEOPLE! When I think of Mike Birbiglia, I think of Dad Energy. He’s soft yet cool and is just one of those guys who you really want to like you. His kid inspires a lot of his comedy, but not in a “I hate my nagging wife and annoying kids” kind of way.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce, The Boss, the guy every member of your family has a crush on, not only including but especially your father, has only made himself even more hot by beefing with Trump while performing in Berlin. I’ve always been a Springsteen fan, ever since my dad would take me to his concerts where he’d put me on his shoulders. I figured it was a New York/New Jersey thing. But as I get older and as I gain more gay and transmasc friends, I’ve learned Springsteen is for everyone! Plus, he’s very transparent about his own challenging relationship with his father and how therapy helped him prepare himself for fatherhood. That’s hot!
Idris Elba
Idris Elba is who my mom wishes my father was (just kidding!). I know none of us need any more reason or permission to thirst over Idris Elba, but he is yet another celebrity who speaks very openly and honestly about his relationship with his father and with his children.
Kieran Culkin
The man wears a wrist full of friendship bracelets his daughter made, for Christ’s sake. He is so dad-coded that during his acceptance speech for best supporting actor at this year’s Oscars, he asked his wife to have more kids. Sure, some people thought this was a weird move and wouldn’t want it to happen to them, but if his wife isn’t offended, then neither am I.
I would like to offer up Aidan Turner, especially in his role as Declan O’Hara in Disney+/Hulu’s Rivals as a suggestion.
(Although, it’s debatable whether he’s exactly a Good Dad in that role…)