# Wow, George Takei just came out. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259 "2005-10-28T03:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/1 "2005-10-28T03:40:04Z")
[In Frontiers magazine:](http://www.frontierspublishing.com/features/feature_second.html) > [@](#): > > **What makes you want to come out, publicly?** > You know, it’s not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. 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. In that sense, maybe that’s another opening of the corridor there. Just to keep you up to date. Unless I’m grievously mistaken, he’s the first regular _Trek_ cast member (any series) to come out. Anyhow, I predict a lot of conference bookings in the very near future. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/2 "2005-10-28T03:44:29Z")
Wow. That came, like, totally out of left field. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/3 "2005-10-28T03:50:20Z")
I read that on the AOL news earlier tonight. I still have no idea what to say. Nothing in life has ever made me consider “how would I feel if, say, George Takei came out?” Good for him, though. I’d like to think it’s a sign of progress that two celebs have come out in the last 2-3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Siddhartha\_Vicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Siddhartha\_Vicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siddhartha_Vicious)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/4 "2005-10-28T03:58:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’d like to think it’s a sign of progress that two celebs have come out in the last 2-3 days. Who’s the other one? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/5 "2005-10-28T03:58:47Z")
I foresee this being in many Trek Trivia quizzes in years to come. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/6 "2005-10-28T04:01:47Z")
> [@Siddhartha Vicious](#): > > Who’s the other one? WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/7 "2005-10-28T04:02:17Z")
I just read this and was about to make a thread. Good for him! [Sheryl Swoops did too.](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9823452/) I’m glad they both felt free and safe enough not to have to hide who they were. Maybe there’s hope for us as a species yet? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/8 "2005-10-28T04:04:00Z")
🙂 Good for him. But sad it took 18 years to publicly acknowelge his relationship. George and Brad…sittin’ in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/9 "2005-10-28T04:08:47Z")
It adds new meaning to [“Young Wet Bitches”](http://www.kevinolean.net/staticpages/index.php?page=20040921225538706), doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/10 "2005-10-28T04:10:13Z")
“I said ‘Lay a **straight** course for Vulcan,’ Mr. Sulu!” ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/11 "2005-10-28T04:11:22Z")
He wasn’t hiding it, at least not from his friends, neighbours etc. That said, this one sort of came out of left field. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/12 "2005-10-28T04:14:23Z")
There’s been plenty of speculation the last few years about this in Trek fandom, so it’s not terribly surprising to me. After all, he wasn’t “closeted”. He just wasn’t shouting it from the rooftops. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/13 "2005-10-28T04:18:01Z")
I was searching IMDB for an appropriate quote from Sulu for this occassion. This one from ST IV popped out at me: “San Francisco! I was born there!” ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/14 "2005-10-28T04:25:41Z")
It’s not terribly appropriate to the situation, but I always did like his and Uhura’s repartée from “The Naked Time:” Sulu: I’ll save you, fair maiden! Uhura: Sorry, neither. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/15 "2005-10-28T04:27:19Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > He wasn’t hiding it, at least not from his friends, neighbours etc. Yeah, I should have mentioned that. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/16 "2005-10-28T04:29:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes. So [Ozzie Guillen](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/photo?slug=hta19010270538.world_series__hta190&prov=ap)’s still straight? ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/17 "2005-10-28T04:32:47Z")
Either way, that was a fantastic interview linked in the OP. I love Takei’s eloquence. If those kinds of statements could get more time in the media I think it would go a ways in advancing gay rights. At least I’d like to think so. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/18 "2005-10-28T04:45:38Z")
Hijack: Interesting aside on Swoopes: she is quoted as saying that she doesn’t think that she was born lesbian. Since one poster earlier thought Takei’s wide public announcement helps gay rights, and that it and Swoopes’ announcement are indicative of changing times, I wonder how that quote (which is already being pounced on by those who say that homosexuality is a choice) affects things? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/19 "2005-10-28T04:46:09Z")
Here’s my reaction. 1: Well, at least I know who George Takei is. (I’ve got the latest copy of ESPN Magazine and still don’t know or care who Sheryl Swoopes is.) 2: Why do I care? 3: More importantly, why should I care? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259/20 "2005-10-28T04:46:30Z")
Ah HAH! He pinged my gaydar for a while now, and I think he was the only unmarried ST star. Although I’d never heard of Brad before. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-george-takei-just-came-out/328259.md?page=2)