9-1-1 Stars Who Have Been Open About Their Sexuality In Real Life

"9-1-1" has long been lauded for it's representation of the LGBTQIA+ community, and some stars of the spinoff "9-1-1: Lone Star" have even been inspired to come out publicly because of it. However, particular attention has been paid to the actor who plays Evan "Buck" Buckley, Oliver Stark. 

We'll start by saying Stark has never said that he's a member of the LGBTQIA+ community himself. In fact, at the time of this writing, the "9-1-1" star is in a relationship with real-life partner Hannah Gotesman, his longtime girlfriend. However, he has spoken extensively about how important it was for him to play a bisexual character on "9-1-1." After the 2024 episode that saw Buck kiss his friend Tommy Kinard, he gushed on "The Zach Sang Show," "I think it's really good representation." That, he explained, came from the fact that Buck's bisexuality was merely one detail about him. "This is one important aspect, but not his entire personality," Stark said. 

Stark also made it clear that he had no time for the haters who criticized the show simply because his character was bisexual. Firstly, he shut down the complaints about Buck previously having dated women. "We're telling the story of a bisexual character here, which means he is attracted to more than one gender," he pointed out. He also called out the critics who were upset about the queer representation, since the show had always featured LGBTQIA+ characters. Stark's most important point, though, was that when he did defend the show, it wasn't so much a statement to haters as it was a message to LGBTQIA+ viewers. "There's nothing shameful about this," he said. As for those haters, he got them back in the best way possible. "We're already renewed for Season 8 ... go watch something else," he laughed. 

On to actors within the "9-1-1" universe who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Ronen Rubinstein of the "9-1-1: Lone Star" spinoff (and one half of the franchise's beloved couple Tarlos) has spoken very openly about his character inspiring him to come out IRL. Some may even remember that in 2021, he came out publicly in an interview with Variety. 

"I fully identify as bisexual. I literally just got goosebumps saying that. It feels so good to talk about it, it feels so good to finally be comfortable with it," he told the outlet. The actor, who plays T.K. Strand in "9-1-1: Lone Star," said that he specifically wanted to come out so publicly in the hopes that he might reach fans who were scared of what could happen if they came out, too. "I want people to know that they're not alone and it's definitely okay. Trust me, I know that it is not easy. My path has not been easy at all, but it's just one more thing that I can share with people to help them and let them know that I'm here for them," he said. 

Roughly a year after coming out via Variety, Rubinstein's character proposed to Carlos Reyes (in case you weren't a regular viewer, that'd be the other half of Tarlos), and the actor once again spoke about the importance of having that moment on screen. Speaking to Out, Rubinstein shared that he was grateful to be able to represent LGBTQIA+ couples, and noted in particular that he loved hearing from people in places where being gay might be illegal. "I feel like for those parts of the world, it's really important to have these sort of relationships on screen," he said. Important work, indeed.

Sticking with Tarlos, the actor who plays Carlos Reyes is openly gay — and just like his co-star, Rafael L. Silva has spoken extensively about how important it is to him to bring about more representation for the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Speaking to Folie in 2022, Silva shared that coming out to his parents had been an exceptionally heartwarming experience. He'd taken them to the beach and burst into tears, only to be met with support. "They stood up and started clapping, they accepted me immediately," he recounted. Even so, he knew all too well that not everyone had the same experience. In an interview with Dallas Observer, he shared that he was glad that, through "9-1-1: Lone Star," he could help bring about some much-needed representation for the Latinx LGBTQIA+ community. That said, he added that there was still a need for more. "I think culturally and socially, Latinx and queer people are forgotten. It's as if you plant a tree and you expect it to grow, and it creates the very first fruits, and then you take all of the fruits, but then you keep expecting more, but you don't keep watering or nurturing the tree. How does that even work?" he said — and that may just be one of the best (and most beautiful) analogies we've heard.

Whether the actors in the "9-1-1" universe are part of the LGBTQIA+ community or simply passionate about portraying queer characters in an authentic and well-rounded way, it's clear to see they're doing important work. We're looking forward to seeing more of them, but as Silva said, it can't stop there, and there's always room for more representation.