Zachary Quinto Is Gay!
There have always been whispers, but now we know for sure: Zachary Quinto, the fabulously understated thesp who made pointy ears sexy again, has come out as a gay man in the pages New York Magazine. Speaking about his acclaimed turn in Angels In America, Quinto said:
...[it was] the most challenging thing I've ever done as an actor, and the most rewarding ... And at the same time, 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.
Of course, Zach was probably already "out" by the standards of ordinary people -- it's only famous folk who've got to come out both to their family and friends and to roomfuls of curious journalists with notepads. Still. He's done a very cool thing. A generation of closeted Trekkers will now grow up liking themselves that much more. Congrats, Zach!
UPDATE: This morning, Zachary published a lovely note on his blog, expanding upon his reasons for coming out. Excerpts below:
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 ... 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.
...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.
"Choice" is an illusion.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 16, 2011 3:55:51 PM
DWTPOTN - Equality will never be achieved by hiding who we are. I have been openly gay all of my life. My husband and I are in our early thirties raising our child who will grow up (hopefully) proud and unashamed to be the son of two gay dads. At four he is just beginning to grasp the reality that his parents are two men - opposite of his pre-school mates. My husband takes him to school and I am there to pick him up. There is nothing more joyous then to have your child squeal the words "Daddy!" and rush into your arms clutching his macaroni picture of his dads. We absolutely adore him and want him to always love us as his dads. A majority of older and conservative gay people have been brought up to believe their life is of less value than their straight peers. And that they that they are expected to hide. That's bullsh*t. As long as the majority of people believe gay people should not be acknowledged, then we, as a community, will never be accepted on the same field with the rest of the human race. If we don't stand up for ourselves be assured that no one else will.
Posted by: OS2Guy | Oct 16, 2011 4:11:06 PM
Yes, Bravo, Zachary. And well put.
I don't really get the people who say, Duh, or, it is none of our business, or, worse, Whatever. Celebrating his coming out isn't about making us "feel better" or necessarily about celebrity worship; it's about acknowledging someone's positive motivations for changing the world for the better in their own small way.
Yes, his officially coming out is hardly a surprise, and it wasn't meant to be one. And, his personal life isn't any of our business, but he's not talking about his personal life. I still have no idea who he is or isn't dating or what he likes to do in bed, and I couldn't care less about those irrelevant (to my life) things.
But, as he says, to fully contribute to society, particularly as public person, to live fully openly and honestly, means acknowledging a core aspect of your humanity and being. (Listening, Anderson?) One of Harvey Milk's greatest lessons was visibility. To be heard, to demand equality, we must be out. Different people have different ways of being out, depending on one's personality and life circumstances, but when someone like Zachary comes out is more than a celebrity getting in the gossip pages for the day; it's part of a collective example of showing the world that we are going to live our lives in the light without fear or hesitation. Basic integrity.
Posted by: Ernie | Oct 16, 2011 4:12:29 PM
"Once I had a secret love
That lived within the heart of me.
All too soon my secret love
Became impatient to be free.
So I told a friendly star
The way that dreamers often do
Just how wonderful you are
And why I'm so in love with you.
Now I shout it from the highest hills.
Even told the golden daffodils.
At last my heart's an open door
And my secret love's no secret anymore."
(written by Sammy Fain and Paul-Francis Webster)
Kudos, Zachary...and may I now sing this to you in private, sometime?
(Or public, I don't care; I even put in my new book that one character dressed up as the "new" Spock for Halloween and that got another guy into bed with him...so I'm hoping life will mirror fiction.)
Posted by: kyle Michel Sullivan | Oct 16, 2011 4:18:13 PM
May he live long, and his career prosper!
\\//|
Posted by: JSH | Oct 16, 2011 4:20:15 PM
I wasn't aware that he was ever in, but congratulations.
Posted by: Cameron Johnson | Oct 16, 2011 4:38:45 PM
OS2GUY
And I think the reason you say this is the reason why Bomer mentioned his kids on national TV. Has hosted committees jointly with his partner, we see the invites online and they have jointly given money to Equality family.
All of this evidence is out plain to see. Quinto nor Cooper have EVER been this public. We never see Cooper doing joint events with Benjamin, it could be his bodyguard for all we know...
Anyway I've said it before that Bomers is calculated and strategic. And it will be as subtle as Quinto's with him casually mentioning his husband in an interview.
Posted by: Rowan | Oct 16, 2011 4:42:37 PM
Anyone who's ever seen him in his headband, backstage memorizing lines, will not be surprised by this.
Posted by: Rodney Wollam | Oct 16, 2011 5:13:06 PM
finally a hollywood actor with a pair of balls. maybe less kids would kill themselves if they saw more role models and less closet cases.
Posted by: walter | Oct 16, 2011 5:20:15 PM
Cooper dates and flirts with men openly. For all we know, he hasn't made a public announcement because he's waiting for his mother (Gloria Vanderbilt) to die. I've known a ridiculous number of extremely wealthy guys who stayed closeted because of the hypocrisy and "restrained" lives imposed on children from long lines of wealth. Which usually just meant they wanted to protect their inheritance, though I don't think that's a big worry for Cooper.
Though I suspect that Cooper is more worried about his ability to report from and get interviews in places like Egypt, Haiti, and even New Orleans if he's known as the gay reporter. My memory may be faulty, but I believe that Pete Williams is the only widely known out journalist, and he hardly talks about it much. (His former boss, Cheney, talks about gay issues more than Pete does!)
Anyway, I had no idea that Quinto is gay, and while it doesn't directly affect my life, I respect his willingness to be open and honest. It's a huge risk for any public figure and a huge benefit to gay rights. Visibility is crucial.
Posted by: Paul R | Oct 16, 2011 5:27:21 PM
Yay! Wouldn't it be something if Matt Bomer officially came out? all these pretty boys!
Posted by: Ryon | Oct 16, 2011 5:42:37 PM
This is definitely the best news I've read all day- Congratulations Zachary. Making your personal life take center stage in the midst of your professional life is never easy but I'm sure the support you're getting from your community will help make this decision one of the best of your lives. I'm genuinely inspired and I'm a washed up cynic, so thank you!
Posted by: Adric | Oct 16, 2011 6:18:30 PM
His statement's lovely. I do not understand why people can't just greet it with respect and appreciation. I don't understand why people think they know enough about complete strangers' lives to evaluate their actions, their responsibilities, etc. Every life is different.
He's a fine actor.
Posted by: coolbear | Oct 16, 2011 6:19:12 PM
Who?
Posted by: Daniel | Oct 16, 2011 6:33:27 PM
I think he came out because you can't work on Broadway these days if you are closeted. No one will work with you.
Posted by: anon | Oct 16, 2011 6:35:28 PM
@ Paul R. -- Gloria Vanderbilt has been surreounded by gayand bisexual men her whole like -- Anderson's father included. It would be a shock to her if he WEREN'T gay. Why is he still pret3ending that he has a "private life" when anyone who knows ANYTHING knows? Whe is he doing major news stories about gay kids beign bullied, yet chokes on talking about his own gayness?
It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma.
I keep goig back and forth between being mildly annoyed by him and being really enraged. Zachary Quinto has just chopped one more pathetic excuse off of Anderson's To NOT Do" list.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 16, 2011 6:43:36 PM
I'm glad he's finally out. I just wouldn't spin it as brave or celebrate his decision. The facts are, this actor played numerous gay roles, and filmed an It Gets Better video while consciously choosing to not discuss or revel is sexual orientation. His reasoning of coming out in response to a young mans suicide reads like spin. What about all the other high profile deaths of youths in America? Political malcontent and discrimination at the Government level? Rising HIV rates? Why do so many fail to recognize that being out and open is paramount to decreasing suicide, depression, social isolation, and homelessness among our queer youth. Glad your out finally dude, but your not my hero. And he shouldn't be celebrated as such.
Posted by: Mikey B | Oct 16, 2011 6:45:39 PM
It's not a quetion of heroism. Coming out shouldn't be heroic. it should be logical.
Sure he might have doen it earlier. But he's not like his "Margin Call" co-star Kevin Spacey who has never come out -- and probably never will.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Oct 16, 2011 7:08:15 PM
Professional life is easier if distracting personal elements can be kept below public radar (or gaydar). Homophobes are happy to ignore all obvious signs in order not to have to confront that disgusting topic. (Witness the lifelong bachelors in the South who "never met the right girl" or "who hated women.") Quinto's statement doesn't read like spin to me -- he's simply right that keeping quiet leaves you out of a crucial public discussion. His turn in "Angels in America" must have spoken to him strongly: The great work is beginning.
Posted by: mudduck | Oct 16, 2011 7:18:10 PM
@Paul R. Did you really mean Pete Williams? Perhaps you were thinking of Thomas Roberts? If Williams, who seems as white bread and midwest main street as possible is gay I'm surprised. He was part of the Bush crowd, wasn't he?
As to Cooper, it's arguably about personal and professional survival. Reporting from a Muslim country is difficult enough as an American "infidel" but add gay and it's doubly lethal.
Posted by: Contrarian | Oct 16, 2011 7:46:38 PM
It's just like the whispers about the planet Jupiter being large. Quick-- name somebody who came out whose sexuality we didn't know already, and who had a multi-million dollar career to put on the line.
Posted by: ProfessorVP | Oct 16, 2011 7:58:48 PM
Good for him! And does he have possibly the sexiest mouth on the planet or what? Those lips!!!
Posted by: Seattle Mike | Oct 16, 2011 8:28:20 PM
And, yes, Pete Williams is openly gay, he just doesn't talk about it much. He's Republican, so that may explain why. :-)
Posted by: Seattle Mike | Oct 16, 2011 8:41:33 PM
I thought I heard this some time ago. It does not make any difference, we ain't gonna hook up tonight. I think coming out is becoming over kill. You will all pounce on me, but, I don't care anymore.
Anderson, so what, we know he is. Taylor Lautner, so what, he is cute but we are not gonna fall in lust or love or hook up tonight.
I don't care who is and who is not, I am and thats all I need! So, anyone wanna hook up 2-night and fall in lust and or love!!!???
Posted by: Tim | Oct 16, 2011 10:04:08 PM
Good for him that he chose to do this on his own terms, and I like how he said it in context to what he was asked. I also liked that the interviewer didn't really make a big deal out of or dwelled on it as if it were something sordid to begin with.
I for one feel that celebrities don't have to be advocates for gay rights if they don't want to. They are flawed human beings as much as we are, and their views are simply theirs. Sometimes they are forced to become advocates for human rights and nobody asks them if that is really what they want to do. Good for Zach that this is the case for him, but in my opinion he can live his life as privately as he wants and nobody has the right to ask him to address any public issue, be it social or political, from his perspective "as a gay man", unless he feels like it.
Posted by: stranded | Oct 16, 2011 10:31:21 PM