Troye Sivan isn’t the only gay man undergoing an identity transformation. One lucky Redditor just got called “Daddy” for the first time!

On the subreddit “r/AskGayBrosOver30,” a man in his 50s told the story of his gay life landmark. He says he’s coming out of a 20ish year relationship, and recently hooked up with a man half his age. During intercourse, he was called that iconic, 5-letter word.

“D-A-D-D-Y.”

And he liked it!

“He asked me if it was okay if he called me Daddy, which I appreciated and agreed to,” writes our newly minted man. “I have to say it was hot. I didn’t expect to be so turned on my it.”

That, my friends, is what we call a “gay awakening.” Daddy-lujah!

“I’m the same age as you and my experience has been exactly your experience,” added a supportive commenter.

A staple of gay slang, the cheeky use of “Daddy” dates back to the late 17th century, according to Auto Straddle. Queer people probably started appropriating the term in the ’30s and ’40s, sometimes to indicate dominance. As the Oxford Dictionary explains in plain English…

“Among gay men: a masculine older man; spec. one who is romantically or sexually interested in younger partners, sometimes with the implication that such a man will play a more (sexually) active or dominant role.”

For the period post-World War II, “Daddy” started to take on a more dominant connotation with the emergence of leather culture. While the word is definitely mainstream today, some Redditors said they’re uncomfortable with the label.

“It’s not my thing. If someone is really into it and wants to call me daddy I’ll play along, but I may mentally roll my eyes a bit,” someone wrote.

Added another: “I absolutely hate the term.”

The Daddy naysayers may be in the minority, however. Author and researcher Tony Silva quantified the dynamics of relationships between younger and older men in his book, Daddies of a Different Kind: Sex and Romance Between Older and Younger Adult Gay Men. He found gay men of all ages are delirious for some Daddies.

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“For a large segment of the gay community, there is major interest right now in older men and daddies,” he told Queerty.  “A lot of the prior research on this topic has focused on something like ageism within the gay community. While it certainly exists, we’re seeing something which is the exact opposite of that!”

While there’s myriad of possible explanations for the uptick, Silva says his participants think the apps are fueling the thirst.

“It makes sense,” he added. “Apps can connect people of many different social networks, who might not otherwise meet in person. I also think apps have shifted norms to make certain practices more acceptable, like relationships between older and younger men.”

We also love to see relationships between older and older men, such as Delicious Daddies Pedro Pascal and Russel Tovey. When they had a date night this summer at The Pet Shops Boys concert at the Royal Opera House in London–AKA one of the gayest date nights ever–we were screaming the word.

“D-A-D-D-I-E-S!”

As our collective love for “Daddies” evolves, the definition is becoming far less ironclad. The endearing designation is about more than a number.

It’s a… vibe.

“It really is a mindset, an energy, a vibe,” said one astute Redditor. “Straddling the line between comforting and intense desire. Has nothing to do with looks to be honest.”

Others agree.

“I like your description of comforting and intense desire. Very accurate,” somebody else offered.

With that in mind, we can also agree that while Troye Sivan may be aging out of twinkdom… he ain’t a Daddy yet!

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