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George Takei

George Takei

George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu steered the Starship Enterprise through three television seasons and six movies, has come out as a homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly Los Angeles magazine covering the gay and lesbian community.

Takei told The Associated Press on Thursday that his new onstage role as psychologist Martin Dysart in "Equus," helped inspire him to publicly discuss his sexuality.
Ref. https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051028/ap_on_...le_george_takei

Takei George

I guess announcing you are gay is more fashionable or accepted now? I must admit that I am surprised as he did seem very manly, although that in itself is a poor indication. As an off note, I felt he should have been given greater participation in Star Trek as his voice and demeanor was almost similar to Spock.

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I was a bit dismayed at the .....sudden need to announce his sexual preferences now. He is 68 years old. I guess he just wanted his final years to not be spent hiding his feelings for others. I can't claim to know the.... feeling that a homosexual person has in regard to the social impression that their sexuality makes, but if you've gone 68 years of not announcing it.... then I'd figure that anybody to whom it mattered....would already know.

Takei George

Star Trek's Takei marries partner

Former Star Trek actor George Takei marries his long-term partner in a Buddhist ceremony in Los Angeles.
Ref. Source 7

Takei George

I just mentioned George Takei and his spouse's appearance on the Newlywed game Source 2 and I thought I would post a photo here.

George Takei

I imagine I was as surprised as anyone else, as a long time original series Star Trek fan. Can't say it affected me one way or the other, not "proud" or ashamed or disappointed or anything, just "Hmm. Who knew. Well, if he thinks it necessary and wants to be honest with the public and probably help promote acceptance for homosexuals and prove "they" are basically indistinguishable from any heterosexuals and not just some alien group, then that seems okay." He and his partner certainly look happy in that picture above, which I think can't be considered bad if there isn't anybody being harmed.

I may be overthinking it, but I know the unofficial method for gay people to "come out" is to inform their friends and family, sometimes slowly and selectively at first, taking time to get people accustomed to the announcement and idea, because they love them and worry about their feelings, as much as the gay person's very own, when and if there is negative reaction or backlash. I think by announcing they're gay, celebrities might be actually simply following this tradition, by being open with the public, as a sort of "extended family", as they have grown to "know", anonymously, "everyone", all the fans and moviegoers, and so want to share their real feelings with people. I'd like to think that anyway, that all celebrities are not just arrogant, money-grubbing snobs.

Looking back, though I don't want to be stereotypical, I either can see, or imagine I see, hints in his Sulu role, with his deep, odd silky smooth speech patterns, a bit beyond dramatic for the relatively unimportant role he played, not effeminate exactly but something... I can't quite identify. The no-shirt swordfight scene also leaps to mind, but Shatner made losing his shirt a tradition so although it seemed sort of out of place at the time, I didn't think anything of it because, hey, it was a stinkin' swordfight with a Japanese guy on a starship!

Edited: JPatt on 15th Feb, 2010 - 10:11pm

George Takei

George Takei wants peace with William Shatner

George Takei and William Shatner haven't exactly had a warm relationships in the four-plus decades since Star Trek went off the air, as anyone who saw the Shatner Comedy Central Roast in 2010 will remember. Ref. Source 3