Gus Peterson is the biological son of Lindsay Peterson and Brian Kinney, and adoptive son of Melanie Marcus in the Showtime drama series Queer as Folk.
Background[]
He is born on the very first episode in Season one.
Throughout the Series[]
Season 1[]
Brian drives Michael and Justin to the hospital to meet Lindsay and Melanie. Brian is shocked realizing he has a son, and Lindsay offers to hold him while Melanie is glaring nearly the entire time at him because she had been calling him.
Gus' parentage has been a source of contention between Lindsay, Melanie and Brian in the first season. While Brian initially gives up his parental rights over Gus, he later tries to become a more prominent father figure in Gus' life, much to the chagrin of Melanie. It is later revealed that Lindsay's staunch defense of Brian is because the two of them dated while in college. Lindsay is also the one and only woman that Brian has had sexual relations with.
Gus gets sick in the 9th episode of the first season, and Lindsey and Melanie take him to the hospital. At the hospital, they are told only the biological mother can tend to Gus. Seeing as Lindsey forgot his blanket, Melanie Marcus attempts to let the nurse know which the nurse gave her a rude, abrupt answer greatly offending Melanie. Melanie snaps back and calls her a c*** as Brian walks in to defend her. Melanie, emotional herself, calms Brian long enough to give Brian Gus's blanket and tells him to go back and give it to them since he is the biological father.
After the disaster at the hospital, Melanie and Lindsay talk and decide that the have to talk to Brian to avoid an incident like that again.
Lindsay and Melanie ask Brian if he can sign his right over. He initially agrees, but on the day he is about to sign, Gus is crying for no apparent reason and this sways Brian mind to not sign over his rights greatly disappointing Melanie and Lindsay.
Season 2[]
He becomes one year of age in this season. At Gus's birthday party, he receieves a play bat which trigger's Justin's Trauma.
On the episode 2.3, when Lindsay is adamant that Brian show up for the ceremony and accept the award for saving Justin's life, she grabs him by the groin and threatens him to be there. As she lets him go, they notice Gus talking his first steps unassisted.
Lindsay leaves Gus with his father, Brian, to ride with Melanie on her motorcycle and accompanying Leda during Pride 2002. Men whom originally cruised him began to avoid Brian thinking he is heterosexual and with his baby to his disappointment.
Season 3[]
Gus is a toddler of 2 years old in this season, but has his 3rd birthday during the season.
Lindsey begins to talk to him and put her on her lap and read from books to him. He also has hoards of toys she has to put away for him as well.
Michael impressed Melanie and Lindsay by how liked he is by Gus at their place, and they come to him with surprising news that they want him to father their next child.
Season 4[]
Gus is 3 years old in this season, and then has his 4th birthday. Gus is not only walking, but running to the door as the doorbells ring. He talks and giggles a lot as well.
Lindsay takes Gus to see his father as he has said "Dada" all day. She goes into a futuristic spiel saying that he will graduate high school one day, married and have kids which "ruins" Brian's reality, but she ends it by saying he will make the best "anti-grandpa" ever.
She takes him with her to Brian's loft when Melanie assures her to trust her when they are separated that she will share custody between them with Jenny Rebecca Novotny-Marcus. Brian is playing with Gus on his train set, and when it derails, he calmly tells his son, "Let's help Mommy get things back on track."
Season 5[]
Gus is 4 years old in the beginning of the season, and then towards the finale, it's implied he is now 5 years of age and ready for kindergarten. He is seen talking, running, giggling and throwing plastic footballs in the snow. Brian makes a comment wondering how he can throw so far.
Despite Brian having given up parental rights, Lindsay and Melanie together consider how he feels regarding their move to Canada so they can feel safe. Originally, Brian declines sending Melanie into her original rants with him, but Lindsay, as usual intervenes saying he has a right to feel that way.
Lindsay later walks with him in the park supervising Gus and they have a talk about the future. Lindsay proposes he can still be a great father to Gus when they let him visit him during the summer. Brian, now very emotional concerning his son, doesn't want him to forget he is his father. Brian also gets emotional and says he isn't the only one he will miss, implying her as well.
Relationships[]
Brian Kinney[]
- Main article: Brian and Gus
Trivia[]
- He is portrayed by twins Logan and Kegan Hoover.
- Gus's age marks the entire run of the series. He is a small child approximately five years of age by the final season.
- His labor was approximately 6 hours.
- He is the adoptive brother of Jenny Rebecca Novotny-Marcus.
- When Brian defends Melanie against the nurse, this shows them actually getting along on screen for the first time on account of Gus.