Looking & Jonathan Groff: 10 years later

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Looking. To commemorate the occasion, I revisited HBO’s landmark dramedy about a circle of gay friends navigating life and love in San Francisco. The experience was like seeing old friends again. Immediately, I burst out laughing at Patrick’s clumsy attempts at cruising in a park in the premiere — a fitting introduction to a main character who would go on to navigate cluelessness through various aspects of queer life.

I cried along with best friends Doris and Dom as the former buried her father and then gifted her inheritance to the latter so he could pursue his dream of opening a restaurant (a chicken window, but hey, you need to start somewhere). At the conclusion of Looking: The Movie, my heart overflowed as Patrick and his romantic interest Richie — obstacles be damned — exchanged a silent vow to try to make their love and life together work.

A lot can happen in a decade, as Out's cover star Jonathan Groff can attest. He sees his character Patrick’s (and his own) growth throughout Looking as a journey “from boyhood to manhood.” And it’s dazzling to see Groff’s personal and professional growth through Glee, Disney’s hit Frozen films, Hamilton, Netflix’s crime thriller Mindhunter, and The Matrix Resurrections. Today, he’s taking over Broadway once again as the lead in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. Each night, Groff lives the life of his character Frank in reverse — from a rich Hollywood sellout back to the lofty dreams of a gifted young composer. It’s sparked a retrospection of his own (love!) life and showbiz career, as we review in our cover story.

This is the Pride issue. And the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community is also a prime opportunity to look back on the struggles, progress, and heroes of our movement. To this end, our Art section highlights artists who carry on the legacy of the groundbreaking sex-positive illustrator Tom of Finland with erotic works created in his onetime home. Our Last Call columnist Alexander Cheves honors the TV history of HIV-positive drag performers like Q and Ongina who fought stigma with visibility on RuPaul’s Drag Race. And Outstanding documentarian Page Hurwitz recounts how LGBTQ+ comedians from Robin Tyler to Joel Kim Booster moved the needle for equality with laughter — and out comics share their favorite Pride jokes with us as well for some laughs.

In these pages, we also celebrate Pride in present day with rainbow-filled photography from Miami Beach, a colorful kickoff to the season. Find your own LGBTQ+ party apparel in our Out Picks section and post-Pride recovery products in Grooming. And don’t miss our fashion spread with Pit Crew members Bruno and Bryce, who model swimwear and other must-have accessories for pool parties.

Groff is far from the only out entertainer shaking up Broadway right now. Michael James Scott is Aladdin’s longest-running Genie — and he celebrates the musical’s 10th anniversary by sharing his journey as a Black gay actor. On TV, the queer vampires are coming out of the coffin with the return of AMC’sInterview With the Vampire, and the showrunner shares some sound bites about its steamy season 2. In Finance, be inspired to start a business in our breakdown of LGBTQ+ venture capital (page 43).

Nothing stays the same, dear reader. Even our logo, as you may have noticed, has changed, in a design that nods to Out’s past while carrying the magazine into its future. I myself am no longer the editorial assistant I was when Looking first aired. Today, I have the privilege of writing this editor’s letter to you during our most special season. Looking back, I can think of no greater joy than working for LGBTQ+ media and amplifying our voices — and yours. So, from myself and the entire equalpride team, happy Pride!

Sincerely,
Daniel Reynolds
Editor in Chief, Out
@dnlreynolds

This article is part of the Out May/June issue, which hits newsstands on May 28. Support queer media and subscribe— or download the issue through Apple News, Zinio, Nook, or PressReader starting May 14.