Zachary Quinto, best-known for his leading roles in the 2009 film “Star Trek,” and the TV series “Heroes,” has announced he is gay. On his personal website today, Quinto, 34, wrote the that suicide death of bullied teen Jamey Rodemeyer, as well as last year’s flood of anti-gay bullying related suicides, had caused him “indescribable despair.” And in an interview in New York Magazine published today as well, Quinto says that “as a gay man,” his work on the stage play, “Angels In America” made him realize, “there’s still so much work to be done.”
“when i found out that jamey rodemeyer killed himself – i felt deeply troubled,” Quinto writes on his website.
“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.”
Here’s the clip from his New York Magazine interview — which is absolutely worth reading in its entirety:
“Doing that play [Angels In America] made me realize how fortunate I am to have been born when I was born. And to not have to witness the decimation of an entire generation of amazingly talented and otherwise vital men. And at the same time, as a gay man, it made me feel like I — there’s still so much work to be done. There’s still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed. The undercurrent of that fear and that, you know, insidiousness still is swarming. It’s still all around us. To revisit that world at all, it took a toll on me. It definitely was an incredible experience but it was really daunting at times.”
On Twitter today, Quinto merely wrote, “my thoughts on the matter,” and linked to his personal blog.
Quinto, who lives in L.A. but seems to spend a great deal of time in my neighborhood in New York City, as he has petted our dog — albeit when my fiancé, not I, was walking him — comes across as a very feeling, caring, deep, and somewhat shy man. And now, we can add, “gay man” to that description.
Thank you, Zachary, for coming out. The world needs this. Millions of your LGBT fans and their families need this. You have done a great thing today.
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