Queer As Folk's Devin Way Names His Personal Queer Heroes - Exclusive

Queer heroes are important — not only because they unite the LGBTQ+ community but also because they're very personal and are often looked up to by younger generations. There are queer icons like Lady Gaga, for instance, whom masses of people adore, and then there are queer heroes that individuals idolize because of special memories, their style, or some other specific personal reason. What makes them even more special is that they often have their own queer heroes, which creates a cycle of love and admiration for those who are accomplishing amazing things and owning themselves brilliantly.

Such is now the case for Peacock's "Queer as Folk," the third series of this name, which released during Pride Month — because there's no better time to showcase the beauty of queerness than during a month-long celebration of it. This version of the show, set in New Orleans, sees Jesse James Keitel, Fin Argus, Armand Fields, Devin Way, and more (via IMDb) showing the world the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, so in addition to the documentaries you're going to watch during Pride Month, be sure to save time for "Queer as Folk," which is more inclusive than ever.

The stars of this show are likely becoming queer heroes for viewers around the world, but as revealed in an exclusive interview with The List, "Queer as Folk" star Devin Way also has personal queer heroes that he looks up to — and you may look up to the same ones, too!

Devin Way portrays Brodie in "Queer as Folk," who is a character in which many across the globe will likely find solace, beauty, and reprieve. The "Grey's Anatomy" star feels the same way about his own personal queer heroes. However, the first thing to make him feel good about himself wasn't a person but rather a film.

"It's not a queer person that I know of, but when I was a child, I was obsessed with 'The Wizard of Oz.' It was my all-time favorite movie, and the scene that I would play on repeat was when Dorothy's house landed in Oz and her world went from black and white to color," Way explained to The List. "I could not wait for the day that my life would turn into color and so I always thought about Judy Garland and Dorothy, and that moment where I didn't have the words or the vocabulary for it growing up."

As Way grew up, though, he fell in love with some powerful icons. "Then I learned to listen to people like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey and all these power divas that really got me in touch with my body, but I didn't have the words or the language for it back then," Way continued. "What I now know was my queerness and my internal rainbow wanting to shine ... that was really important to me." Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be listening to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and hosting a living room dance party for one.

"Queer as Folk" is now streaming on Peacock.