‘9-1-1’ lead Oliver Stark blasts homophobic backlash to character’s same-sex storyline

After Thursday night’s episode of ABC’s 9-1-1, in which Oliver Stark‘s fireman Buck and Lou Ferrigno Jr.‘s Tommy share a kiss, Stark told his Instagram followers he “couldn’t be prouder” of the supportive messages he’s seen.

However, the Instagram Story posted on Saturday also noted there’s been some homophobic backlash to the tender moment. “If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show, I would like you to know that I truly don’t care,” the actor said, according to a screenshot of the time-limited message snapped by Page Six.

“This is a show about love and inclusion,” his message continued. “It’s featured queer relationships from the very beginning, including a beautiful Black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I’ve ever watched.”

Stark said, “If one other character finding a new facet to his sexuality and [realizing] his bisexuality is your deal breaker — I fear you’ve missed the entire point of the show.” 

For good measure, he told the haters, “You are not required to announce your departure.”