GL at its best was never really just about romances. I never cared about his relationships with women (I did like him with Bev's Alex; Jay and Maureen Garrett had a certain spark but the relationship relied too much on suppressing Holly's personality), but he was a great community character, and I liked his friendships with Ed, Ross, etc. He was the only reason I sometimes tolerated Nick (Nick was a godawful character until his last six months or so on the show). I also thought his relationship with Ben was very touching, a bond built not on blood but on loss and found family. I never forgave the show for what they did with Ben. For all her flaws I'm glad Ellen Wheeler at least acknowledged this, opaquely, in the finale.