George Takei Comes Out of the Closet

Harry Mok
October 27, 2005

In the interview, he says he's not so much coming out, but, "It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen. And then some doors are open and light comes in, and there are skylights and it widens. Brad’s my partner, we’ve been together for 18 years. So, I've been 'open,' but I have not talked to the press."

He also talks about his childhood experiences in a Japanese internment camp and the duality of feeling ashamed for being different -- because he is Japanese American and gay -- earlier in his life.

I'll admit it, I'm a Star Trek fan, and though they have problems like most of the entertainment media, the Star Trek shows and movies have always had the most diverse casts in Hollywood. A gay-Asian-starship captain fits right in in Star Trek's make-believe world of the future and in today's society.

Contributor: 

Harry Mok

Editor in chief

Editor in Chief Harry Mok wrote about growing up on a Chinese vegetable farm for the second issue of Hyphen and has been a volunteer editor since 2004. As a board member of the San Francisco and New York chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association, Harry has recruited and organized events for student members. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was also a graduate student instructor in the Asian American Studies Department.

Comments

Comments

Amy wrote on Fri, 10/28/2005 - 11:50am
Good for him! May he live long and prosper.Was reading the SFGate article about him, and I didn't know that he is also part of the East-West Players. Way to represent!
Amy wrote on Fri, 10/28/2005 - 12:03pm
Pretty funny discussion on the startrek.com boards, including this comment:Posted: Oct. 28 2005, 8:57 amSo what you're saying is ......Takei, like many fans of Star Trek, has never been with a women.
claire wrote on Fri, 10/28/2005 - 1:51pm
i've always admired takei -- for never playing stereotyped characters when it would have been so easy for him to do so; for always giving his time and his name to asian american community organizations and causes; for performing in community productions rather than always pursuing the high-paying hollywood gigs he could undoubtedly get if he lowered his standards; for always being outspoken about his asian americanness in public. but now he's definitely entered the realm of hero status for me. wish we had more celebrity role models like this.