Sulu comes out of the closet

[muchlove]

Oct 27, 10:50 PM (ET)


(AP) Actor George Takei greets the crowd with the Vulcan greeting as he arrives at the "Star Trek; 30...
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LOS ANGELES (AP) - 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.

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.

Takei described the character as a "very contained but turbulently frustrated man." The play opened Wednesday at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles, the same day that Frontiers magazine featured a story on Takei's coming out.

The current social and political climate also motivated Takei's disclosure, he said.


"The world has changed from when I was a young teen feeling ashamed for being gay," he said. "The issue of gay marriage is now a political issue. That would have been unthinkable when I was young."

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.

Takei joined the "Star Trek" cast in 1966 as Hikaru Sulu, a character he played for three seasons on television and in six subsequent films. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.

A community activist, Takei ran for the Los Angeles City Council in 1973. He serves on the advisory committee of the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program and is chairman of East West Players, the theater company producing "Equus."

[britlitgal]

bah! beat me to it. i think we could all have figured that one out.

so, between sulu and SVZ, that pretty much accounts for all the gay asians in the world!

[Grimmlok]

LOL everybody has known this for like 20 years

[AliceInWonderland]

George Takei, 'Trek's' Sulu: I'm gay

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- George Takei, who as "Star Trek's" Sulu was part of the Starship Enterprise crew 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.

Takei described the character as a "very contained but turbulently frustrated man." The play opened Wednesday at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles, the same day that Frontiers magazine featured a story on Takei's coming out.

The current social and political climate also motivated Takei's disclosure, he said.

"The world has changed from when I was a young teen feeling ashamed for being gay," he said. "The issue of gay marriage is now a political issue. That would have been unthinkable when I was young."

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.

Takei joined the "Star Trek" cast in 1966 as Hikaru Sulu, a character he played for three seasons on television and in six subsequent films. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.

A community activist, Takei ran for the Los Angeles City Council in 1973. He serves on the advisory committee of the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program and is chairman of East West Players, the theater company producing "Equus."

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[AliceInWonderland]

hahahahaaa @ "all the gay asians in the world" thats cute, you kno he kinda looks like an older SVZ, I love that guy too, he was on Howard STern and totally easy to talk to and funny, and I saw him on Trekkies too, a great and funny documentry on Star Trek Freaks, and he was awesome on that as well good for him!


look at that amazing bone structure and wide almond eyes: totally SVZ qualities SVZ its your long lost papa

[lucyfan]

most closeted gay actors wait until they are in their 60's and 70's til they come out like richard chamberlain. some younger ones have come out too.

[WickedHo]

George Takei is gay? Wellity wellity wellity. I thought there was something rather "elegant" about him, heh heh...

[LynnieD]

This dude is hilarious when he's on Howard Stern. The 'Sulu Dance' song is awesome--download it if you can!!!

What a shocker eh?

[Morrisonlver]

I could tell he was gay by the way he pushed the buttons on Star Trek.

[shmucky]

Hey he has aged alot better than some of the other old Trekies. Pity about the gay, er, I mean grey

[asha22]

Aww its so sweet that they've been together for so long.

[leapinglilies]

omg takei was SO funny on howard stern that first week! he was totally witty and really rolled with the punches. i thought he should be a regular! i couldn't get enough of his colorful stories.