Posted on 04/19/2006 12:38:05 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
From the time he was in grammar school, George Takei - Sulu from "Star Trek" - knew he was gay.
"You know, all the other guys would say, 'Janey's cute.' I'd say, 'Yeah, she's all right,' " Takei told a Madison, WI audience. "But Jimmy..."
Takei, who last fall disclosed his sexual orientation publicly, is touring on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign to draw attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
The "Star Trek" star, who turns 69 Thursday, likens the gay rights movement to the civil rights struggles of African-Americans and women in American history.
"It's a campaign in the classic American tradition to expand the ideals of justice and equality for all Americans, including LGBT Americans. It's a campaign to make the ideals of this country truer and stronger," Takei told a told an audience of about 150 Tuesday night in the Mosse Humanities Building.
"I'm optimistic about this campaign because I see it in the large context of American history," he said.
Takei detailed the dark chapter of his childhood when, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, he and his family were taken from their Los Angeles home and held in a World War II internment camp in Arkansas.
Those horrible days are in the past for Japanese-Americans, Takei said. "But I still see a legalistic barbed-wire fence separating me, my partner of 19 years, Brad Altman, and another group of Americans, from a normal life."
By normal, Takei said he meant "two people who love each other, who take responsibility for each other, who care for each other" to be able to marry. It's normal for committed couples to be able to share their property, pensions and insurance benefits, he said.
Takei said he was ecstatic after the legislature in his home state of California passed a historic same-sex marriage bill. "All that was required for it to become law was the autograph of one actor," he said in reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
When Schwarzenegger ran for governor of California he made noises that he was moderate, but in the end Schwarzenegger played to the "reactionary segment of his conservative base" and vetoed the bill, Takei said.
That was when Takei decided to come out publicly. His family and some of his friends had known about his sexual identity since the early 1980s.
"I can stand before you today as a proud, gay American advocating for an expansion of equality and justice for all Americans, including LGBT," he said. "Our democracy is a continuing and dynamic work in progress."
Takei noted that America's Founding Fathers articulated the ideals of liberty and justice on parchment but kept other human beings as slaves.
"Today we have the descendents of slaves, African-Americans, in the halls of Congress as legislators, and two have become secretaries of state. This is an amazing nation," he said.
When America was founded women had no rights and now women are CEOs, astronauts, and potential presidential candidates, Takei said. "This is an amazing country," he repeated.
"We are going to make a stronger, better, truer democracy....We will boldly go where America has never gone before," Takei said to cheers.
Takei received loud applause before he spoke and a standing ovation afterward. When he was done, about a third of the crowd stood in line to meet him.
"I worship George Takei," said longtime "Star Trek" fan Michael F. Christopher, 48. "He has the most unmistakable, recognizable voice in the world."
Christopher, who identifies himself as bisexual, said he was unaware that Takei was gay before attending the talk. "I didn't know what LGBT meant. I had no idea."
So he's still trying to go where no man has gone before?
Sulu's Queer..................
So if they don't wnat the rest of us to be concerned about their sexuality, then why do we need to know this about Takei?
The last thing I wanna know about is a gay man who's about to be 69!
TMI!
LOL... how did you get that particular pic so fast?
Maybe that's cause he ain't NORMAL!
A poster never reveals his secrets.
Mr. Sulu exposing his sword.
Question for him -- Are he and his partner registered with the state of California as domestic partners? If so, they have access to hundreds of rights formerly reserved for married couples.
Nothing "normal" about same-sex marriage.
Nothing more sickening than a crowd of pink powderpuffs parading their cause under the human/civil rights banner.
I just don't get it. To say that "equality" is the final frontier and all that. So if we get homosexual marriage, that will make things "equal"? All that will do is lower the bar, to the next alternative lifestyle. Polygamists may start demanding their rights. Group marriage advocates will demand their rights too. There will probably be a civil rights movement for prostitutes and drug addicts and drug dealers. All to make things "equal" of course. It's unequal to pay Social Security benefits at age 65 but not 55. What does Sulu think about that inequality? point is, it all depends on the cause you are pushing as to what you say you want.
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