Happy Father's Day to our favorite TV dads of gay TV kids

When I was a little kid, I wanted to grow up to be Batman, so my dad bought me a cape and cowl and fashioned a utility belt for me out of soap boxes and yellow spray paint. When I was a little older, I wanted to be a professional basketball player, so my dad coached my teams and flew me off to the best basketball camps in the country.

When I was a teenager, on the night I was set to break the all-time basketball career scoring record at my high school, I choked. I tripped. I faltered. I lost. And near the end of the game, standing on the free throw line feeling like the biggest failure in the history of sports, I looked up into the sold-out crowd and found my dad. He stood up. He stood up in a sea of fans and reporters who were ready to rip me apart, and he started clapping. All alone. Just clapping and clapping and clapping like the proudest dad in the entire world. Like it actually didn't matter if I fell or flew, like he'd been saying all my life, because I tried.

When I came out to him, when I finally said out loud, "I'm gay," my dad said, "Whew. Finally."

This weekend is Father's Day, and to celebrate we've made a list of some of our favorite fictional dads of fictional gay kids.

Mr. Torres, Grey's Anatomy — He may have started out on a mission to pray away the gay, but after a stern talking-to from Dr. Arizona Robbins, Mr. Torres had a change of heart. "If this works out between you and Arizona, is there a chance you’d maybe give your mother a wedding?" he asked. "And grandkids?" Because at the end of the day, he just wanted his daughter to be loved and happy.

Mr. Morgan, Ellen — Mr. Morgan always dreamed that Ellen would grow up and have a perfect life and a perfect family like the one they'd built around his train set. When she came out, he thought his dream for her was shattered, but then he realized Ellen still could have her fairy tale — he'd just have to buy a female train conductor.

Ned, Imagine Me & You — Ah, the long-suffering English husband with the nervous wife. A Jane Austen classic. But Ned was a little different. When Rachel finally realized she was in love with Luce, she didn't have the courage to go after her. So Ned held her hands and told her to follow her heart — and then he sped through London traffic to let her give voice to "You're a wanker, number 9!"

Jay Pritchett, Modern Family — Jay may seem like a tough cookie on the outside, but he's a squishy marshmallow on the inside. He loves Mitchell and Cam the same way he loves Claire and Phil: Enough to fly them to Hawaii with him, and enough to pay for figure skating lessons that last a lifetime.

Burt Hummel, Glee — Burt didn't understand Kurt's gayness, but what he did understand is that he loved Kurt, and he'd do anything to protect him. When Kurt came out, Burt was befuddled, but proud. And when Finn went on a homophobic rampage, Burt kicked him out of the house, sacrificing his own happiness for his son's.

Max Gregson, United States of Tara — Marshall tried really, really hard to be straight, but when he finally accepted that he was gay, he looked for his mom, but came out to his dad. Max's response? "Good. Do you want a burger?"

Rob Fitch, Skins — Sure, he broke his son's arm making him test out the HyperFitch ("Don't get fit, get Fitched!") And sure, he hid all the house foreclosure notices under the couch cushions. ("Don't worry, I've found a caravan!") But in the most vulnerable, heart-wrenching moment of Emily's life, he held her in his arms and stroked her hair and said the thing she needed to hear the most: Love really can conquer anything, if you're brave enough to fight for it.

Who are your favorite dads of gay kids?