Actor Zachary Quinto comes out in article

After describing himself as "a gay man" in a New York magazine interview published Sunday online, "Star Trek" and "Heroes" actor Zachary Quinto wrote on his website that the apparent suicide of bullied gay 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer was a wake-up call.

"n 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," Quinto, 34, said.

"Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying," he added. "Parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance."

He said he was "eternally grateful to" the Buffalo teen, found dead outside his home last month, "for being the catalyst for change within me."