![]() All the characters were created as straight characters.īut there was a party and Gene Roddenberry was there. “Star Trek” was created in the ’60s when there would not have been any gay or lesbian characters. Now the cultural interpretation is becoming much more authentic, and satire is now seen from a different perspective, and the stories are becoming therefore much richer.įR: Did you see Sulu as gay, at least in your own mind? GT: Now were seeing Asian Americans creating our stories and presenting our vision and telling our story from our vantage point. You can’t imagine what kind of sentry towers you can build around your heart.įR: You were nearly the only Asian face in a prominent role in television for a long time. ![]() I imprisoned myself about my sexuality for decades. GT: As a matter of fact I’m working on a second autobiography, and it’s called “Down to Earth.” The government imprisoned me for four years for my race. But it began with the first executive order, the Muslim travel ban, where you’re characterizing a whole group of people as potential terrorists.įR: Your autobiography “To the Stars” came out in 1994, but so much has happened since, not the least of which is you coming out as a gay man at the age of 68 in 2005. GT: It is recurring again today on our Southern border with putting in cages these desperate people who are seeking a better life here and asking for asylum. ![]() He just got stampeded and put innocent Americans in prison.įR: What goes through your head when you see pictures and hear stories of the families and children imprisoned in camps on the border? Her also said people can make mistakes and in our case the top man made a dreadful mistake, but he was still a great man in the ’30s. In after-dinner conversations he told me the importance of participating in a people’s democracy. The following is an edited version of our conversation. The award is presented “to a leader whose trailblazing work is impacting the world.” 18 New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas will present Takei with its annual Visionary Leadership Award at the Omni New Haven Hotel. He is also a tireless personal reminder of a shameful time in America’s past when more than 120,000 American citizens of Japanese heritage were imprisoned in camps during World War II. The 82-year-old Takei has parlayed his fame as the character of helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original ’60s “Star Trek” television series and some of its spin-off feature films into that of a widely recognized and respected public figure who speaks out on a wide range of issues ranging from LGBTQ rights and marriage equality to the imprisonment of immigrant families at the U.S. It was the “Oh, my” voice of actor-author and activist George Takei - and he had a lot to say from his home in Los Angeles. ![]() The voice on the phone was unmistakable: mellifluous, deliberate, deep, wry and warm. ![]()
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