The Concept Of The 'State-Mandated Girlfriend' Inspires Discourse After Viral 'Wojak' Meme

A State-Mandated Girlfriend or Government-Issued Girlfriend is a satirical concept popularized in online incel communities, referring to a girlfriend issued by the government to lonely and involuntarily celibate men to reduce loneliness and depression among men. While the concept is largely satirical, it has been criticized as misogynistic for treating women as objects or tools to cure male loneliness and inceldom. Some of the earliest existing public posts about state-mandated girlfriends appear on 4chan in 2016. Memes about state-mandated girlfriends spread online and became increasingly popular between 2018 and throughout the 2020s. In September 2026, a Wojak meme showing an incel getting his state-mandated girlfriend inspired edits and discourse about the concept.