Mr. Sulu (George Takei) comes out

[stevedeshazer]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051028/ap_on_en_tv/people_george_takei



<snip>

LOS ANGELES -
George Takei, best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in "Star Trek," came out as homosexual in the current issue of a magazine covering the Los Angeles gay and lesbian community.

<snip>

The 68-year-old actor said he and his partner, Brad Altman, have been together for 18 years.

Takei, a Japanese-American who lived in a U.S. internment camp from age 4 to 8, said he grew up feeling ashamed of his ethnicity and sexuality. He likened prejudice against gays to racial segregation.

"It's against basic decency and what American values stand for," he said.

[OrlandoGator]

1. Oh my.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Marr]

15. LOL.

[Pushed To The Left]

23. I wonder what Howard Stern's reaction

will be tomorrow!

[ContraBass Black]

30. I didn't get it until I said it out loud.

I didn't realize I sound like him until now.

[Snotcicles]

36. He should form GAARP. n/t

[Snotcicles]

37. I always thought his "beam me up Scotty" had it's own little Fla-va.n/t

[William769]

2. Better late than never.

[PowerToThePeople]

3. You know, I kinda always thought that... n/t

[On Par]

4. As A People, We Need To Get Over This...

... even while the Rethugs make it all the more difficult.

[MadisonProgressive]

5. My gaydar pegged him long ago

[Lex]

6. Yep.

[ochazuke]

21. Your SIN-sors, you mean?

I heard about that 20th century gaydar technology, though.

Required reading at the Academy, Mr. Spock.

[derby378]

7. This is news? I knew Takei was gay for about 15 years now

It seemed to be common knowledge at Trekkie conventions. Nobody there ever complained, though. George has always been George. Nice guy, too.

I think I've still got his autograph somewhere from when he visited a convention in Irving, TX about 15-17 years ago.

[BiggJawn]

10. Saw him on a documentary YEARS ago talking about it.

Geez, LouWeez, you mean I'm *NOT* the last one to know something for once?

[FrankX]

26. I thought people knew.

[Botany]

8. Warp Factor 5 Mr. Sulu

I always wondered why he & Chekov looked so comfy on the
bridge together.

Oh well more power to him and no I will not go for the cheap laugh
of Mr. Sulu searching out new worlds for adventures and to boldly
going where no man has gone before ......... (cue theme music
and cut to Mr Sulu heading for the YMCA)


:rofl:

[Patsy Stone]

19. Breaking News

Paul Lynde and Liberace were gay. :)

Is everyone coming out today, or is it my imagination? :)

[Bridget Burke]

27. Iff you're wondering about the orientation of Star Trek Characters....

(Not the Actors.)

May I remind you that Slash Fanfiction began with Kirk/Spock stories?

Good for Mr Takei!

[ContraBass Black]

31. I didn't know that.

I know a slash writer.

[fortyfeetunder]

9. so what, he's still handsome

no big deal at all...

[arwalden]

11. Yay!

:thumbsup:

[jim3775]

12. Lets all do the Sulu dance!

Paaaaaaaants. :D

[LoZoccolo]

34. Hey now!

:bounce:

[edbermac]

13. Is that a phaser in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

:silly:

[cynatnite]

14. Another bubble to break for my RW mother....

I have to wait until morning to call her. She's a big fan of the original Star Trek.

She was a big fan of Richard Chamberlain until I popped that bubble :)

[ochazuke]

16. That's OK

Star Fleet has a don't ask don't tell don't mind meld policy.

Have to re-watch all those episodes where he looks over at the navigator and smirks again. Or that one where some molecule makes everyone lose their inihbitions. He ran through the corridors half-naked, sweating, and brandishing a rapier.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[cynatnite]

17. Now, I've gotta admit, Mr. Sulu looked great half-naked and sweating n/t

[ContraBass Black]

32. With a sword?

:D

[CottonBear]

18. I met Mr. Takei when I was a geeky teen & he was CALTRANS rep

visiting Chattanooga,,TN (where I grew up.) We went down to the CARTA office and he came out and took a photo with us three geeky Star Trek fans. He was gracious and very kind to take time out of his schedule to meet us.
This was in the late 1970s in Chatt., TN.

[walldude]

20. Good for him!

[FM Arouet666]

22. Where the hell have I been, this is news to me

Way to go Sulu, stand up and be counted, I have nothing but respect for him. I guess his sexuality was known long ago, according to a few posts in this thread. I feel oblivious.

Fuck the oppressive religious bigotry which infects our society, time to cure the disease.

[Ms. K]

24. I wish him all the best

After all, with the Repukes attempting to create a theocracy, it can't be easy to "come out", or if not come out, be honest.

Not to mention, the Rethugs seem to think that if you're not White, Straight, and Christian, you're not worthy of breathing.

And he's right, it IS against basic decency and what REAL American values stand for, but then, we're supposed to define values the way the party of KKKarl Rove and Rummy and the Chimp do. Note that KKKarl is a traitor, Rummy is a scumbag, and the Chimp is a dry-drunk.....but at least they're all straight (as far as WE know).

[Zhade]

25. Wow!

I was clueless.

Good comments, btw.

[Dr Fate]

28. All the ST characters & actors are great role-models. GO GEORGE!!

n/t

[Deja Q]

33. Yes, I'll be Commander Cor of the Klingon Empire when I grow up.

Good grief...

Half the characters are evil, you see...

And do you know all the actors personally? William Shatner seems very much a snobby greedy prick if you ask me... and you haven't...

George is cool, though. And Nichelle Nichols (their biography books are terrific. Especially Nichelle's, if I had to state a favorite.)

[Lisa]

29. I know from my own family ...

... that the older Japanese immigrants (and even their kids, the Nisei who were born in North America) weren't always open about heterosexuality, let alone homosexuality. My dad, a Nisei who is now in his 80s, isn't comfortable with this, even though he is an educated person who read the Kinsey Report and knows that gay people ended up in Hitler's concentration camps during his lifetime -- and suffered a worse fate than our family did in the Internment.

After he began asking about whether Ken, "that nice boy who comes by to visit you", was ever going to "pop the question" -- Mom and I had to sit Dad down, and explain to him that Ken is gay -- and that he would not be getting hitched to anybody, unless same-sex marriage was legalized. (And it now is, in our province.) Dad said, in a hesitant voice -- "Then you aren't dating him? He's going to be an architect!" I have to give it to Dad -- he rallied around and continues to like Ken. He looked at news footage of the drag queens at the big Pride parade in Toronto, and said firmly, "Well of course Ken wouldn't dress up in a silly outfit like that!"

So I imagine that Mr. Takei has had to deal with these kinds of issues too, if his relatives were traditionally-minded.

[pox americana]

35. no!

Next: William Shatner confesses, I'm a compulsive overactor!