Zachary Quinto Is the TV Doctor We Need Now
By Chris Azzopardi
Photos: NBC
Finding a gay doctor to address your health needs in real life is hard enough. The same has often been true on TV, where primetime medical dramas have typically opted for straight practitioners in lead roles.
But that’s changing, thanks to Dr. Oliver Wolf, who happens to be openly gay, on the new NBC drama “Brilliant Minds.” Zachary Quinto — not a doctor, but gay — portrays Wolf, who leads a team of interns studying the mysteries of the brain in his neurology department in New York City.
“It’s a big deal because it’s not a big deal, actually,” says Quinto, 47, best known for playing Spock in the new “Star Trek” movies and his roles on “American Horror Story.” “Oliver Wolf’s sexuality is a complex aspect of who he is as it is for any human being. But it’s by no means the only aspect of his personality or his experience.”
To embody Wolf, Quinto pulled inspiration from a real-life doctor, the original basis for his character, who didn’t come out until near the end of his life: Dr. Oliver Sacks, who was also a neurologist. Sacks died in 2015, at age 83. Cited as “the poet laureate of medicine” by The New York Times, he practiced during the mid to late 20th century, when being a gay anything, let alone a doctor, was far less accepted by society.
“Oliver Sacks had a very different experience of
being a gay man than I have,” Quinto says. “And he was actually celibate for 35 years. I think anybody who learns that about him says, ‘How can someone be celibate for so long?’ And I think the answer to that lies in the fact that at that time, gay identity was a singularly defining issue. And if you were a gay man in particular, then that is what you were — you were ‘ a gay,’ whatever you did.”
That’s not true for Wolf, as the series establishes both his professional and sexual identity, with the potential for something more, given the obvious chemistry we see mid-season between him and a hot high school principal (Christopher Bencomo). Moreover, those exchanges are met as if he were just a straight doctor — that is, this isn’t a show about him being gay.
In speaking with Quinto, you get the impression that his character is not just inspired by Sacks, but an extension of what Sacks’ life may have looked like outside of the doctor’s office if he could have been out. What if the stakes hadn’t been so high for Sacks to be openly gay? What if he could have still been a successful genius who published dozens of books about his patients and transformed the field of neurology while also being his authentic self?
“He knew that if he was honest about that part of himself, that he might not have been able to do any of that, or if he did it, it might not have been received or accepted by the mainstream to
the degree that his work was,” Quinto says about how high the stakes were for someone in Sacks’ profession to be openly gay at the time. Coming out in that era, he added, “had the unfortunate occurrence of limiting your opportunities and diminishing the impact that you might be able to make in a particular field because you were discriminated against or alienated or excised from the process or the conversation.”
“It’s a big deal for me, an openly gay actor, to be playing an openly gay character in a primetime network medical drama,” he says. “But it’s primarily because that aspect of the character is not really that big of a deal, and we live in a world for which that can be said. And that’s the miracle of the progress we’ve made and the reminder of how much progress we need to continue to fight for to ensure that that narrative doesn’t get interrupted or diverted.”
So no, Dr. Wolf will not live a celibate life. “Yeah, that’s a safe bet,” Quinto confirms. It certainly helped to have a team of LGBTQ+ creatives bringing Wolf to life. Greg Berlanti, superproducer and founder of Berlanti Productions, was instrumental in getting “Brilliant Minds” off the ground. Berlanti wrote for “Dawson’ s Creek” before going on to a successful producing and writing career for series such as The CW’ s “Riverdale” and “Brothers & Sisters” and making many contributions to DC Comics on film and TV. Meanwhile, Michael Grassi, also a “Riverdale” producer, is the showrunner.
“The people that you just mentioned are all very sensitive to and organically tied to that exploration and that representation, so it wasn’t particularly effortful; it was just a part of the stories that they want to tell and the ways in which they tell the stories,” Quinto says. “And that resonates for me. So there was a throughline and a connection that just made sense, really, with them.”
As for Quinto himself, he’s been publicly out since 2011, when he acknowledged being gay after the suicide of bisexual teenager Jamey Rodemeyer, who took his own life at 14. “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,” he posted on his website at the time.
“I just feel like what I’ve learned from myself is that ultimately integrating with my authentic self, as complicated as that person might be, using that goal as a motivator in my own life, has transformed the way that I see the world and the way that I experience the world,” he says now. “And if that exploration within myself can resonate for other people and young people, whether they’re aspiring to be actors or doctors
or pilots or whatever, that’s always been really important to me.”
His work speaks for itself, and his success is a marker of the progress we’ve made that Sacks couldn’t experience in his lifetime. Outside of “Brilliant Minds,” Quinto has immersed himself in work that gives clout and voice to the queer experience. Those roles include the 2020 adaptation of “The Boys in the Band” for Netflix and “I Am Michael,” the 2015 biographical drama based on The New York Times essay “My Ex-Gay Friend.”
“It’s always been something that’s quietly motivated me, recognizing that we do have an opportunity, but we also have a responsibility to a younger generation to be a model of authentic integration,” he says. “That’s how I see it. And that was the moment when I made the decision to come out publicly — I could no longer separate those two things. This experience that I was having in my career with the great good fortune and many opportunities that I was being presented with, and a part of me that was split off from the truth of who I am.”
“That has not always been the easiest thing to integrate or explore within myself, if I’m honest,” he continues. “It generated my own inner conflicts and turmoils over the years to try to figure out how to do that. And I’m not saying I’ve solved it, but I’m certainly closer to it now than I would’ve been if I had tried to keep them separate. So that’s a big part of this in terms of how it might
reverberate for younger people or other people of any age, really.”
As right-wing politicians continue to exploit queerness for political gain, often at the expense of LGBTQ+ youth, it’s crucial for queer young people to recognize that they can thrive in society without sacrificing their identities. Quinto is aware of his role in helping to convey this message.
“What you’re seeing is a real battle at the moment, between expanding consciousness and destructive consciousness and fear-based consciousness,” he says. “So for me, this moment to be a part of stories that are very much leaning into the idea of expanding consciousness, that is something that I think is, again, somehow in a larger way, purposeful. And I’m recognizing that as it’s unfolding, because it’s all very real time. I’m in this moment of only now just having these conversations in such a public-facing way.”
With the election approaching and on everyone’s minds, Quinto is using his public platform to address critical issues at the forefront of political discourse. He notes two of them — climate change and artificial intelligence — and poses an urgent question voters might ask themselves:
“How can I participate in these conversations in a way that amplifies my belief that the only way we can meet, survive and potentially transcend the challenges facing humanity is through collective action?”
The actor emphasizes the current moment as one of unprecedented shifts in global consciousness.
“This election is the clearest and most impactful distillation of that conversation and the ongoing battle,” he says, noting that the decisions we
make now will have profound consequences, reverberating not only across the U.S. but around the world. “It’s urgent and crucial that we recognize the stakes involved,” he adds.
These pressing issues, he insists, are fundamentally about the survival of the human race. “I say that anybody who has a meditation practice right now is like DEFCON 5, Red Zone: get to your meditation,” he says. “We have to be focusing on the ways that we can move this conversation in the direction of the light and the direction of what’s possible and the direction of how we can achieve things if we really come together and see that the things that are going to confront us don’t know sexual identity. They don’t know gay or straight or cis or trans. They don’t know Republican or Democrat. They don’t know American or European. They don’t know these things, and they’re not going to matter. What’s going to matter is that we show up for each other and with each other to overcome the challenges and to solve the problems that we’re going to have to solve and the challenges we’re going to have to face.”
Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzo
Photos by: Russ Bowen-Youngblood
Community Heroes Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community
Edited by Mikkel Hyldebrandt
In Atlanta, a network of inspiring organizations stands as heroes for the LGBTQ+ community, offering vital resources, advocacy, and safe spaces for connection and support. These organizations are champions of change, tirelessly working to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ Atlantans. Each group brings a unique mission to the table, addressing issues from healthcare and housing to education and childhood support. Together, they form a strong foundation for Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community, creating the resources and advocacy needed for a thriving, inclusive city.
Through vibrant fundraising events, they not only raise money for essential programs but also bring the community together in celebration and solidarity. Here’s a look at each of these community heroes, their missions, and the events that keep them going strong.
AID Atlanta
Since 1982, AID Atlanta has been one of the most trusted names in HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and support services in the Southeast. Dedicated to saving and transforming lives affected by HIV/AIDS, AID Atlanta provides a range of essential services that include testing, treatment, counseling, and community outreach programs.
One of the city’s largest annual fundraising events, the AIDS Walk Atlanta & Music Festival combines community spirit with powerful advocacy. This event draws thousands of participants who walk or run to raise awareness and funds for HIV/ AIDS services. The festival also includes performances by local musicians, providing an uplifting atmosphere for attendees. Funds raised go directly toward sustaining AID Atlanta’s critical services, helping them reach thousands of Atlantans in need.
Positive Impact Health Centers
Positive Impact Health Centers (PIHC) offers comprehensive healthcare and supportive services with a strong focus on LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive communities. PIHC emphasizes inclusive healthcare and stigma-free environments, where clients can access primary care, behavioral health services, case management, and HIV prevention, including PrEP and HIV testing. Their mission revolves around health equity and reducing the impact of HIV in the community.
Key Fundraiser: Party With Impact
Each year, Positive Impact Health Centers host Party With Impact, an inclusive and high-energy gala featuring performances, auctions, and a sense of unity. Funds raised
Key Fundraiser: AIDS Walk Atlanta & Music Festival
from this annual event support PIHC’s mission to provide affordable healthcare and expand HIV prevention and education efforts. Party With Impact has become one of the most anticipated gatherings in Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ social calendar, allowing guests to celebrate and support health and wellness initiatives.
Status: Home
Status: Home is a housing initiative that assists LGBTQ+ individuals—especially those living with HIV/AIDS—in finding safe, supportive, and stable housing. Recognizing that safe housing is critical to health and well-being, Status: Home addresses homelessness within the LGBTQ+ community, which disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ youth and those affected by HIV. Their advocacy and support services aim to empower individuals to secure longterm housing and to connect them with vital community resources.
Key Fundraiser: The Annual Halloween Bash
Status: Home brings back Atlanta’s hottest Halloween party and a night of legendary fun supporting a great cause! This iconic event features an epic costume contest with celebrity judges, fabulous dragfluencers, and glamorous attendess. Enjoy light bites, overflowing drinks, and electrifying beats in a setting brimming with Halloween spirit. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate and support housing security in Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community in unforgettable style!
Joining Hearts
Joining Hearts is dedicated to providing housing assistance for those affected by HIV/AIDS, raising awareness and funding through unique and entertaining events. Their mission centers on providing support to LGBTQ+ Atlantans who are in need of stable housing due to health or financial challenges related to HIV/AIDS. Since its inception, Joining Hearts has donated millions of dollars toward housing and healthcare services, making it a wellloved and respected organization in the community.
Key Fundraisers: Joining Hearts Pool Party and Change of Seasons
The Joining Hearts Pool Party is an iconic event in the LGBTQ+ calendar, known for its festive atmosphere, live DJ performances, and poolside fun. The event attracts a
vibrant crowd and serves as a significant fundraiser for the organization, with all proceeds going toward housing assistance programs. Additionally, Change of Seasons is another popular fundraiser, allowing attendees to celebrate the seasonal transition with dancing, socializing, and community-building while raising money for a worthy cause.
For The Kid In All Of Us
Founded to bring joy and essential resources to children in need, For The Kid In All Of Us hosts events that blend charity with fun, generating support for children in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. This volunteer-driven organization focuses on giving back to children from underserved backgrounds, with special attention to inclusivity and LGBTQ+ youth who may lack traditional support systems. Their events collect toys, supplies, and funds for local children, helping to build a stronger, kinder community.
Key Fundraisers: The Toy Party & Backpack Party
The Toy Party is a holiday-themed celebration where attendees bring toys to donate, creating a joyous atmosphere while making a difference in children’s lives. With music, dancing, and holiday cheer, this event fills a vital need for toy donations across Atlanta. Another beloved event is the Backpack Party, a summer gathering where attendees contribute school supplies for children, supporting their education and success. Both events highlight the organization’s playful spirit and dedication to enriching the lives of children in need.
These organizations continue to play a transformative role in creating a safer, healthier, and more inclusive Atlanta for everyone. Supporting them through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word about their work makes an impactful difference. Let’s celebrate and sustain the legacy of these dedicated groups by showing up for them in every way we can—because together, we build the foundation for a more compassionate and empowered community.
Photos by: Russ Bowen-Youngblood
QUEER
By Romeo San Vicente
Another ‘Beauty’ of a show from Ryan Murphy Back in the day we had Aaron Spelling TV shows everywhere you turned — “The Love Boat,” “Dynasty,” dozens of others familiar and forgotten. Today we have Ryan Murphy. Is it on TV? Well, then, Ryan Murphy did it. And here comes another one: “Beauty,” based on “The Beauty” graphic novels by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, is headed to FX for at least 11 episodes and the cast so far lives up to the title. First casting notice corrals TV vet Ashton Kutcher, Murphy mainstay Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”), Anthony Ramos (“Twisters”) and double Tony-nominee Jeremy Pope (“One Night in Miami”). The plot involves a strange kind of dystopia where beauty is transmitted sexually, as in the more you get the more attractive you become. Of course, getting exactly what one wants is often the path to misery, hence the whole dystopia thing. Intriguing premise, obviously, and it guarantees an expanding cast of hotties, another Ryan Murphy specialty. Production begins before the end of the year so you’ll be hearing about this sometime in 2025.
Jonathan Groff meets ‘A Nice Indian Boy’ The funny, sweet 2021 indie rom-com “7 Days,” from queer filmmaker-oncologist Roshan Sethi (yes, he’s also a doctor) made waves for its timely COVIDthemed story of a hetero blind date turned permanent quarantine. His next film, “A Nice Indian Boy,” is just as personal but distinctly queer. It focuses on “7 Days” actor Karan Soni ( “Spider-Man: Beyond the SpiderVerse”) and “Hamilton” star Jonathan Groff (both of whom are gay) as a couple who navigate Soni’s traditional South Asian family dynamics. Initially a play by Madhuri Shekar — who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Randall — this charmer of a comedy already played to warm reviews at South by Southwest and is still hopping around the film festival world. Be on the lookout for its eventual arthouse bow, most likely in 2025. In the meantime, go watch “7 Days,” and get that weird 2020 feeling again.
Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher are toxic straights in ‘Companion’ Someone’s having fun with marketing over at New Line Cinema. Coming soon is “Companion,” a psychological thriller written and directed by Drew Hancock (“My Dead Ex,” “Suburgatory”), produced by the creative team behind the jaw-droppingly wild horror film “Barbarian” and, in the cheeky words of New Line, “from the studio that brought you ‘The Notebook,” which means buckle up for something shocking delivered with a wink. What we know: the film stars Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”) and Jack Quaid (“The Boys”) as a couple in trouble he’s a psychopath and she’s under his spell — and that’s all the plot we’re being given right now. And there’s queerness in here somewhere, too, because actors Lukas Gage (“White Lotus”) and Harvey Guillén (“What We Do in the Shadows”) are part of this cast, though we don’t know in what capacity. In other words, what we don’t know is a lot. Like, quite literally everything else that happens, a refreshing approach in a world of give-away-thewhole-movie trailers. Meanwhile, we don’t mind that the gays are supporting rather than front and center: let the straight people prove they’re OK. Look for this one as evil counterprogramming to Oscar movies in January 2025.
Fake Tegan and Sara
Ready for a little unhinged fandom? “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara” is going to be the queer feel-uncomfortable documentary of the season. Lesbian sister band Tegan and Sara built up a community of fans devoted to the group’s music, their unapologetic queerness, and their honest approach to stardom… and then one anonymous person turned it upside down. In 2011, Tegan’s personal files were hacked and her identity stolen by a person who then catfished the band’s fans. The result was an upheaval of anxiety and mistrust among fans and a yearslong investigation into the identity of Fake Tegan. The new documentary, from filmmaker Erin Lee Carr (“Britney vs. Spears”), told in Tegan’s voice as well as those of the fans caught up in the catfish’s scheme, is a harrowing trip through the trouble with fame, the internet, bad faith actors and obsession. And since the internet is where this all went down, it’s appropriate that the film is streaming on Hulu.
Photos: Photos: KathClick
Dini
BARS & CLUBS MIDTOWN
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE
BULLDOGS
893 Peachtree St NE
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR friendsonponce-atl.com 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
MY SISTER’S ROOM mysistersroom.com 66 12th St NE
X MIDTOWN xmidtown.com 990 Piedmont Ave NE
THE T modeltatlanta.com 465 Boulevard SE
CHESHIRE
HERETIC hereticatlanta.com 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road
BJ ROOSTERS bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
WESTSIDE
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868 Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW
840ATL 840 Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW
ANSLEY
ATLANTA EAGLE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE
FELIX’S 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
THE HIDEAWAY 1544 Piedmont Ave NE
MIXX mixxatlanta.com 1492 Piedmont Ave NE
OSCAR’S oscarsatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
WOOFS woofsatlanta.com 494 Plasters Ave NE
TRIPPS fb: tripps-bar 1931 Piedmont Cir NE
EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD
MARY’S marysatlanta.com 1287 Glenwood Ave SE
SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH sisterlouisaschurch. com 466 Edgewood Ave SE
DINING MIDTOWN CASA ALMENARA 991 Piedmont Ave NE casa-almenara.com
HENRY’S henrysatl.com 132 10th St NE
LA HACIENDA lahaciendamidtown. com 900 Monroe Dr NE
TUK TUK THAI FOOD LOFT TUKTUKATL.COM 1745 Peachtree Rd NW
DEKALB
LIPS ATLANTA atldragshow.com 3011 Buford Hwy NE
RETAIL MIDTOWN
BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
CHESHIRE SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE ANSLEY
BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1000 Piedmont Ave NE, Ste A GCB & PLEASURES brushstrokesatlanta. com
1510-D Piedmont Ave. NE FITNESS MIDTOWN
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SPAS/BATHS ADULT
FLEX SPA exspas.com 76 4th St NW
Photos by: Russ Bowen-Youngblood
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I Googled my symptoms, and it turns out I just needed this election to be over.
An idea: instead of daylight saving, why don’t we get rid of the electoral college?
Wow, Iʼve never thought about it like that. And never will. I already forgot what you were saying.
Camping for me is walking barefoot in a hotel room.
You know what your ex should have been going as for Halloween? Employed!
Me being more active is posting more in my Insta.
I need a good groupon for Ozempic, please.
I have so many stress management strategies that I get anxiety.
