WATCH: Smithers comes out of the closet in NEW Simpsons episode

Even though it's a cartoon, it was always known that Smithers is gay.

The cartoon character has been trying to hide his unrequited love for Mr. Burns for far too long, and in a brand new episode, he finally opens up.

But rather than make it a huge deal, writer Rob LaZebnik told The New York Post that they wanted to keep it subtle and laid back:

"We didn't really want to have that big moment of 'I'm out'… Instead, just have it be a big embrace — like everyone knows it."

But it was for a very sweet reason Rob decided now was the right time for Smithers to come out. The writer added that the episode was made to show his son, who is gay, that he supports him.

“I am a Midwestern guy, so I don’t tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, but I thought, ‘What better way to tell my son I love him than to write a cartoon about it?’ ”

Aw, we just love this too much.