Zachary Quinto finally mentions that he's gay

It's probably not a great surprise to anyone who's been paying attention, but it's still nice to see.

People has this: "Zachary Quinto's eight-month run in the recent New York stage revival of Angels in America was an eye-opening experience for him. Since the project, the actor, 34 – who had an acclaimed role as Louis Ironson, a man who abandons his AIDS-stricken boyfriend – publicly discusses his much-questioned sexual orientation for the first time. In a new interview in New York, Quinto calls his work in the off-Broadway play the "most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor, and the most rewarding." "At the same time," he adds, "as a gay man, it made me feel like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed." Later in the interview, when the topic changes to legalizing gay marriage and the suicide of bullied gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer, the actor once again refers to himself as a "gay man." He says that when it comes to the different rights and treatment that come with being homosexual, "there's a hopelessness that surrounds it." "Where's this disparity coming from, and why can't we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?" he says. "We're terrified of facing ourselves." The star of Star Trek and TV's Heroes had long refused to comment about his sexuality, though he has been an outspoken supporter of bully victims and has played a number of gay roles, including on Tori Spelling's TV show So NoTORIous and on the new FX series American Horror Story."

(I am not going to speculate on what this will do to the proliferation of Spock/Kirk slash-fiction. Not that I would know what that is, of course).

After the story broke, Zachary posted this on his blog (No, I don't know what he has against capital letters):

when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself - i felt deeply troubled.  but when i found out that jamey rodemeyer had made an it gets better video only months before taking his own life - i felt indescribable despair.  i also made an it gets better video last year - in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time.  but in light of jamey's death - it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it - is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality.  our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country.  gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying.  parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance.  we are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world.  we are at the precipice of great transformation within our culture and government.  i believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society - and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action.  jamey rodemeyer's life changed mine.  and while his death only makes me wish that i had done this sooner - i am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me.  now i can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one other person in this world.  that - i believe - is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other. zq.

Comments

[Tripleg24]

Great for Zachary. He's an fantastic actor. Had no idea he was gay, quite frankly, and now that he's come out, he's added a tone of support behind the community. The "it gets better" has even more substance behind it now. Oh, and Syler > Spock.

[Randy]

Who is Zachary Quinto?

[Christopher King]

Why is this even news, or did you just have nothing else better to print so followed the rest of the US ghouls with this boring revelation?

[Bhruic]

I keep hoping for the day when someone mentioning that they are gay is treated with the same reaction that someone mentioning they are heterosexual would get.

[Ineed Attention Jr.]

"Oh no my screen career is dieing and i am stuck doing little heard of Broadway works, quick i need a publicity stunt!"

[David John]

Try, try very hard to imagine how little I care about this persons lifestyle or preferences.

[Jennifer]

No big deal... the more support that is out there the better though. My only issue is that now my secret daydreams of bumping into him at a cafe and him falling madly in love with me have been completely crushed. lol.

[Cassie]

I thought he had already come out. Oh well. It is always a great thing when celebrities come out publically and put a recognizable face to the gay cause. Good for you, Z, we need a lot more brave men like you in Hollywood.