As a gay viewer, I find Leo Stark's portrayal embarrassing, insulting, and disappointing. This is not because I have a problem with gay men who are naturally expressive, flamboyant, or dramatic. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people being their authentic selves. My issue is that Leo feels like an exaggerated performance built around stereotypes rather than a genuine, well-written character.

The way Leo crunches his face like he's a 5-year-old is embarrassing to watch. The character is approaching 50 but acts like an obnoxious  teenager. His constant rambling, unrelated tangents, and over-the-top behavior make him feel more like a caricature than a real person.

I've seen Greg Rikaart in interviews and public appearances, and he does not act this way. That is why Leo comes across as an exaggerated portrayal rather than an authentic representation. He is putting it on and it’s not right that he’s able to profit off of this. He can easily turn off the act and there are plenty of gays who are not afforded that luxury and they are bullied, beaten up or killed. This is not a joke!  I know Greg Rikaart is gay, but that does not automatically make this good LGBTQ+ representation. A gay actor can still play a character that relies on outdated stereotypes.

It appears older women seem to love Leo and find him funny, but as a gay person, I don't see the humor. Gay people are not clowns or caricatures created for entertainment. Many of us have been bullied because of these same stereotypes. I was bullied because I couldn't simply "turn off" who I was, and that is why seeing exaggerated stereotypes used as comedy is frustrating.

We used to have gay characters like Will and Sonny, who were portrayed as classy, mature, and well-rounded. Now we have Leo, a character who often feels more like a cheap reality show version of gay people rather than a meaningful representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

Leo's constant flirting with nearly every man he meets also reinforces tired stereotypes about gay men. My issue is not that Leo is gay—it is that the character often feels like a mockery of gay people rather than a reflection of them.

If a show used exaggerated racial or ethnic stereotypes for comedy, many viewers would recognize the problem. I don't understand why outdated stereotypes about gay men are still treated as acceptable.

I am asking the writers and producers to eliminate the character of Leo Stark. LGBTQ+ viewers deserve representation that reflects real people, not stereotypes played for laughs.