Zachary Quinto: It's A 'Bleak And Dangerous' Time For LGBT Americans

As an openly gay actor, Zachary Quinto said he is “scared” of America’s current political climate, particularly Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign . 

The “Star Trek Beyond” star shared his thoughts on what he called a “bleak and dangerous moment in our political landscape” in a wide-ranging Time magazine interview July 21. 

“I have a lot of people in my life that think there’s no way Trump will win. I don’t believe that for a second,” he told the magazine. “I have to feel like people will look at these two old white men, who represent everything that is negative in history, and say there are more people who want to go a different direction.”

He added, “We have to fight with everything we have to continue the path that we’ve been able to gain such ground on in the last five to 10 years.” 

The actor, 39, said that “Star Trek Beyond” touches on themes that feel particularly relevant given Trump’s conservative platform. 

“There’s waves of nationalism and xenophobia and fear-based thinking and intolerance,” he said. “At the end of the day, this is a blockbuster summer popcorn movie — we’re not trying to delve into any of these themes explicitly—but what ‘Star Trek’ represents is the idea that unity will always overcome hatred.”

Earlier this month, Quinto defended the creative team’s decision to portray iconic “Star Trek” character Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) as a gay man in the new film, which hits theaters July 22. The move was intended as an homage to George Takei, who originated the role onscreen and came out as gay in 2005 . Still, many Trekkies were surprised when Takei, 79, denounced the tribute as “unfortunate,” saying he’d hoped an entirely new LGBT character would be created for the film instead. 

Quinto reiterated his support for Sulu being gay in the Time interview, noting, “The idea of taking this already beloved character and adding another dimension is so powerful for young people, and so powerful as a gesture to the LGBT community, who has long advocated for representation in the ‘Star Trek’ universe.”

He also shared his thoughts on “The Real O’Neals” star Noah Galvin, who apologized after giving a fiery, foul-mouthed interview to New York Magazine’s Vulture blog last month in which he slammed closeted gay actors and portrayals of same-sex relationships on television.

“There was such fear about being gay in this industry that the way he spoke felt like a regression. I thought it was shameful, frankly,” he said. “Very misinformed and misguided. Hopefully he’s learned better now.”