Brian Kinney

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Brian Kinney is a fictional character from Showtime's Queer as Folk (US TV series) television show. He is played by Gale Harold. Brian is one of the, if not the, main character(s), and while Michael Novotny could be the considered the protagonist (Michael narrates the pilot episode as well as the series finale), Brian is definitely the hero. The other characters in the show seem to always be affected by his actions, especially his on and off lover Justin Taylor. Brian can usually be found in the back room of the popular gay club Babylon. He also has a son named Gus after donating his sperm to the lesbian couple, Lindsay Peterson and Melanie Marcus.

Sexually irresistible, beautifully turned out, and highly successful as an advertising executive, Brian has nonetheless been an extremely controversial character in the gay and lesbian community. Some people feel that he represents the community poorly, embodying a promiscuity and an inability to grow up that are negative stereotypes among the larger community. Others regard Brian as the most moral character on the show, and one of the most morally uncompromising characters on television.

Brian's popularity was such that the famous "Brian bracelet" - a simple woven bracelet with cowrie shells which became identified with the character - emerged as a totem in the gay community. One of the contestants on the gay dating reality series Boy Meets Boy was seen wearing one.