Latest news with #TheyCalledUsEnemy
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
How do we look at the future with hope? George Takei says the answer lies in ‘Star Trek'
In the 2020 graphic memoir "They Called Us Enemy," George Takei took readers into the U.S. government's internment of approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent in American concentration camps during World War II. Takei, best known for his role as "Star Trek's" Hikaru Sulu, can claim an unfortunate degree of authority on the topic. He and his family were among those imprisoned. In his new book, he writes about confinement behind what he calls his own personal "invisible barbed-wire fence." The title, "It Rhymes With Takei," is a witty bit of wordplay inspired by a lifetime of hearing his name mispronounced. What particular word could rhyme with Takei? "Play. Say. Yay. Oh…gay! That's what the book is about," said Takei (pronounced tuh-KAY), who was in Philadelphia for the American Library Association's annual conference. This latest book is also a graphic memoir, and it briefly touches on many of his 88 years - his incarceration at age 5, his early years in film and TV, his breakthrough role on "Star Trek" in the 1960s that made him an enduring part of American pop culture, and his ongoing activism. But the memoir mostly focuses on the parallel story of his life as a gay man finding his way at a time when disclosing one's sexual orientation carried life-changing consequences. "You could not be known publicly as a gay person and hope to maintain a career," he said. Then, in the 2000s, the issue of gay marriage bubbled up, and in 2005 a California bill that would have legalized gay marriage reached the desk of then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "He vetoed it, and that got me so angry. And it turns out that he was having an affair with his housekeeper at the very same time under his wife Maria Shriver's nose and had a son by the housekeeper. And that's when I said, 'I've had a good enough career. I'm coming out,' and the book is about that process." Takei was 68. "People have known me as an activist and actor," he writes in "It Rhymes With Takei." "Now with this story told, I am the whole George Takei." The colorful, 336-page textbook-shaped volume - illustrated by Harmony Becker and co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott - arrives with added resonance. "I believe so much of life is cyclical," said Takei, referring to the historical echo between the internment of Japanese Americans in the 1940s and the detentions and deportations currently being carried out by the Trump administration. "The Latino community in not only Los Angeles but throughout the country - their lives are in absolute chaos, defined by fear and terror, and that's what it was like for my parents." Takei says his life was shaped by his childhood imprisonment. "It's a shameful history. It's a history of the weakness, the vulnerability, the fragility of our democracy. I want all Americans to know our American history." Takei remembers "the terror and how scary the whole event was, but I was too young to understand it." Later, as a teenager, he peppered his father with questions. "How he explained it - he frequently quoted from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Ours is a government 'of the people, by the people, and for the people.' He said those are noble words that make this nation great. But the weakness of American democracy is also 'of the people, by the people, and for the people,' because people are fallible human beings. They get stampeded and they do irrational things or things that we regret later on." Takei spent three years in internment camps, and that experience is the reason he became an activist. He says that despite that time and what's happening now - he refers to President Trump as "that Klingon in the White House" - he remains an optimist. "I think of my parents. How dark a future do you think they could face with three young children? Yet they persevered. And we are now facing a dark future. But when you give up and cave into radicalism yourself, then you've lost." He is also girded by the ethos of the science fiction franchise that made him famous. "On 'Star Trek,' we had this acronym - IDIC, which stands for 'infinite diversity in infinite combinations' - working together, and you saw that personified in the characters. We saw that diversity. Captain Kirk was a white North American, but he wasn't an American. He [actor William Shatner] was a French Canadian from Montreal. The second in command was a half alien - his father was a Vulcan and his mother was an Earthling. We had a Scottish engineer. At the height of the Cold War, we had a character, Chekov, who spoke with a Russian accent. That's optimism." He points out that the show was conceived and produced in the 1960s, "another turbulent time, and so, infinite diversity in infinite combinations, that diversity coming together, working together to face a common challenge, [is how] we move forward. "That's going to help us overcome some of these seemingly insuperable differences." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Celebs Who Are Actually Nice In Real Life
BuzzFeed Community members recently told us about their most memorable and heartfelt celebrity encounters, and the stories are so sweet, I need you to read them right now!! "I saw John Krasinski (who, no lie, has always been my dream boat celeb) at the Tate. This guy is so, so tall!! I embarrassingly chased him down to the Münch special exhibit ticket line and stood behind him awkwardly until he was about to be next. I tapped him on the shoulder and, even more embarrassingly, said, 'John?' LIKE I KNEW THE GUY! He turned around and acted unfazed, asked why we were there, and asked us where we were doing our art history grad school in London — as if he actually wanted to have a convo! He said, 'Oh, well, this is the place to be!' I asked him the same question, and he said, 'My wife is from here.' And I had the kahunas to say, 'Oh, Emily, of course!' LIKE I KNEW HER TOO! We took several pictures because he said, 'Do you like how you look?' Ha! I think I had that pic as my profile pic for years." "Paul McCartney. I met him at a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago while working as a reporter. Afterward, he talked to us one by one. During our conversation, he pulled out a large piece of paper and drew a picture, dedicating it to my sister. How nice could this guy be? They say he's the Beatle with the most PR qualities, and they are probably right." "My husband met Rihanna years ago and said she was super nice. He was working as a ground handler at an airport and was setting up something on the ramp for her private plane. She came out, approached him, asked him about his job, and they chatted for a few minutes. Not sure if she was killing time until the gate opened, or if she went out of her way to talk to him for the heck of it, but he had nothing but nice things to say about her." "I met George Takei at my state's Comic-Con. My students read his graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy, in class. At the end of the unit, I had them write a letter to him. I chose a few of them and took them with me to Comicon. I had a cover letter with them to explain what we did. George signed my copy of his book, thanked me for being a teacher and teaching his book, and said that he and Brad would read the letters in the hotel that night. They both talked to me for a few minutes and were so kind. When I returned to school from break, there was a handwritten thank-you note from George in my mailbox! He and Brad are both class acts." "Jennifer Aniston is a sweetheart. She seemed very genuine and kind. I met her in a restaurant bathroom, of all places. We talked for so long, her friend had to come and find her." "I met Lorne Michaels when I worked at a 5-star restaurant. Everyone who worked with me knew I'd been a fan of SNL since I came out of the womb, so when I picked up the phone to make the reservation and spoke with his assistant, I told them I was Lorne's biggest fan. When he arrived with his wife and son (who went to a local boarding school), they were so kind, and he said, 'Oh, I heard you're my biggest fan, and that's amazing because I don't have fans — the cast always has fans!' I almost died. I gave them my favorite table, which they were thrilled with, and when he got up to leave, he left me an envelope with a pretty sweet bonus tip inside. I wasn't usually tipped for doing my work, so it wasn't necessary, but it was so thoughtful and appreciated. You'd never know he was famous or rich at all." "I've met Harry Styles several times; he is so nice and considerate. He actually put off going out with his team just to sit and talk to my 15-year-old daughter and me. I'm sure he was exhausted, but he seemed to enjoy relaxing and chatting with us. My daughter will most likely live on that memory for years to come!" "I met Matthew Gray Gubler after he did a talk years ago at my college! Only the first 100 people who got tickets were supposed to be able to do a meet and greet. He said 'rules were made to be broken' and that he would stay and meet with everyone until they kicked him out. Not only was he incredibly sweet to me (literally introduced humble and posed for a goofy pic), but he seemed so genuinely kind to everyone there. Just amazing energy all around." "Carol Burnett. I was returning from Indonesia and had a layover in San Francisco, where I saw Carol Burnett. I would not have bothered her, except I had her biography in my purse. When I approached her, she was so excited that I was reading her book. We talked until our planes called to board them. She even signed the book. What a lovely lady." "Not long before Stan Lee died, I met him at his final East Coast appearance. My son had made a Spider-Man comic book for him. He was thrilled! He read it aloud, laughed joyfully at the ending (Doc Oc forgot to put batteries in his machine), and made me promise to encourage my son and his gift. I did, and he hugged me. He was so kind! I cried when he died. I think of him often and like to think he's with his beloved wife now." "Will Ferrell is awesome. He almost doesn't seem to recognize that he's one of the most famous movie stars in the world. He makes incredible eye contact with strangers and will sit and talk to anyone. You can just tell when a person is full of themselves and when they are not, and he is not." "A friend and I visited my boyfriend while he was doing security at a jazz festival in Malibu. He told us Adam Sandler and his family had been there all day, and tons of people took pictures with him. We ran back to the car to grab the digital camera, looked up, and saw Adam, his pregnant wife Jackie, and their toddler leaving. We went up to them. Adam was clearly done for the day, but his wife said, 'Honey, let me hold [toddler's name] and you can take a picture.' We handed him the camera and he took a selfie with us. Still have that picture on my fridge. Love the Sandman!" "Stellan Skarsgard. I met Stellan on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Stockholm, Sweden. He was such a kind, lovely man, and even after a long, tiring flight, he walked with me down to the luggage claim and collected and carried his own bags. We talked about his kids and what movies and projects his sons were currently doing. He was just amazing and completely normal. I've always admired his work, and now I'm even more impressed with him as a person. I watch anything he's cast in, as well as his sons; they definitely inherited his talent." "Clint Eastwood. He was friends with the dad of one of my friends, and we were at my friend's dad's cabin in northern California to party. We were surprised when his dad showed up, and we had to hide the party evidence (his dad was a DA). We did not expect his dad to be there…but Clint was with him, and he played frisbee in a meadow with us. We sort of pretended we did not recognize him. I think he had fun being normal for a bit. Nice person." "I can only speak from my perspective, but Tom Hardy was cool to work with. I know select people, including Charlize Theron, have criticized him. But context is also important. It's easier to see how somebody could be grumpier working in the deserts of South Africa for weeks on Mad Max, which had to be an incredibly challenging shoot, than in urban Atlanta while shooting the first Venom. But whenever he walked by me and my crew, he would light up, call us 'buddy,' give us bro hugs, and sometimes stop and chat. He did this pretty much from the first time we met him, and he never stopped." "In the spring of 1981, I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school, and working a part-time job at a small grocery store in a tiny Texas town. One of our regular customers came in and mentioned that Farrah Fawcett was outside waiting in a car. Turns out she and others were taking a break from filming the movie Murder in Texas at a ranch just up the road. As a 15-year-old boy and a huge fan of hers, I asked my boss if I could go meet her and get her autograph. I quickly asked my coworkers if they wanted to go, too. All declined. So I went alone, found the car with her sitting in the backseat, and approached her. She rolled her window down and said hello. She was gorgeous." "Ron Howard. I went to a golf prep school in South Carolina, where his son, Reed, also attended in a younger grade. He and his wife attended a tournament we were playing in Absecon, NJ. The van we rented that drove us to the airport was full, and I nervously asked him if he would drive me back with his son. It was only a 10-minute drive to the airport, but the three of them were super down to earth, and it became apparent that they were salt of the earth, humble people — also evidenced by the modest station wagon he was driving. Awesome experience and a very nice family!" "I got to meet Tom Kenny at a convention in November. He is just as darling in person as you would expect! I did a photo op with him, and I could hear him chatting with people as they went up to take their pictures. I got up and took my picture, but was so nervous I had nothing to say. I had dressed as Sara Bellum from Power Puff Girls since he voiced the mayor in the show, and as I was walking away, he called out, 'I love a scarlet lady!' I immediately let out a big giggle and skittered away. Such a gem!" "Joey Fatone. I met him at a convention, and he was so genuine and took the time to talk with everyone; it was more than just a photo op. He gave everyone a hug or a handshake and made you feel like you were talking to a friend, not a member of a superstar boy band." "I met Martin Sheen after a speaking engagement he had. He was so friendly that he even serenaded me with the song 'Cecilia' after he learned my name." "Dan Aykroyd was beyond nice! When I was in college, a friend of mine was interning at SNL and managed to sneak my friends and me after-party tickets. At the time, the cast included people like Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and many others. We went to the after-party at a little restaurant/bar in Little Italy in downtown Manhattan. My friends and I were on a back patio sitting down, and out walks Dan Aykroyd and his brother. We were sitting there with our jaws on the floor. He immediately introduced himself and started asking us questions — who we were, what college we were attending, what we were studying — and even gave us great life advice. He sat and talked to all of us for about 30 minutes before we went back into the restaurant area, then held the door for us. Super down-to-earth! Not sure if he will ever read this, but if so, thank you, Dan, for being so nice to a star-struck college kid!" "I met Joe Pesci in a bar in NYC in 2003. He was with several security guards who were trying to keep people away from him, but a friend and I waved at him, and he came over and talked to us. We chatted for several minutes. He was extremely kind and funny!" "I used to be a lift-op at Aspen Buttermilk ski area. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell would frequent our lift with their little kids, one of whom was Kate Hudson, who was probably 6 years old. They were the nicest folks and would always chat with us (unlike most other celebrities). Kurt is such a laid-back and down-home dude. Kudos." "One that might be surprising is Colin Hanks. It would be easy to assume he's some privileged nepo baby who has no comprehension of reality. But he is actually quite down-to-earth. We worked on a show called The Good Guys back in 2010, and we would speak to each other daily as if we were friends, telling jokes and talking about our days. He has a great sense of humor and seems pretty humble, considering his upbringing as the son of the biggest movie star of a generation. A few years later, I got to work on Bridges of Spies with his dad, and while I didn't have as many meaningful conversations with him, he also seemed very personable and approachable. It explained a lot about why Colin was the way he was." "One really awesome guy is Keith David. I worked with him on a TV show when my first daughter, Lottie, was born. He latched onto it and was delighted to talk to me about my first days of fatherhood. He even let me show him pictures of her on my phone. He remembered her name and would come in and very excitedly ask, 'How's my little Lottie?' He would genuinely listen to what I had to say, smiling and actively participating in the conversation. He would also affirm that I was experiencing some of my life's most challenging yet fulfilling moments. He also read a crew member's script, and one day, people brought posters from Platoon and The Thing, and he was happy to sign them." And: "I worked in the film industry for over 20 years. I've met a lot of celebrities through the years. More of them know how to behave with decorum than don't (at least in small interactions), and I've met many very famous and tactful celebrities. The absolute nicest, though, was Lacey Chabert. I worked on a small movie with her in Dallas, and she was always professional, even-tempered, friendly, and down-to-earth. She went to the wrap party stag and sat at a table beside my wife and me. We started a conversation and talked for a very long time about nothing at all until she had to be pulled away to do something. It was such a personable conversation that it felt like we were sitting with an old friend." Who's the nicest celebrity you've ever had the pleasure of meeting? What was your interaction like? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Takei believes our democracy will be OK — once the 'Klingon president' is out of office
Before George Takei broke out with his role on 'Star Trek' and became a cultural icon, his last name was often mispronounced. Instead of 'tuh-kay,' some people would say 'tuck-eye.' 'I told them that's a mispronunciation, but I don't object to it because the word takai in Japanese means 'expensive,'' the actor and advocate says during a recent Zoom call from Boston. 'In fact, I told this to ['Star Trek' creator] Gene Roddenberry when he was interviewing me and he said, 'Oh my goodness, a producer doesn't like to call an actor expensive. Takei is OK.'' Having to educate people about his name is one of the reasons he included it in the playful title of his latest graphic memoir, 'It Rhymes With Takei.' 'I didn't want it to be in their face,' says Takei. 'I thought I'd use [my name] in the title and make the reader work a little bit … Takai? Takei? May, day, pay, say, gay. Oh, gay!' Read more: George Takei on his childhood in internment camps — and his faith in the future Out Tuesday, 'It Rhymes With Takei' is about the actor's experiences growing up gay at a time when it was much less safe — and thus less common — to be out. The book details Takei's story from his earliest childhood crushes to being compelled to come out in 2005 and becoming the outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist he is today. For 'It Rhymes With Takei,' the author once again teamed up with writers Steven Scott and Justin Eisinger and artist Harmony Becker, his collaborators for 'They Called Us Enemy,' the 2019 graphic memoir about Takei's childhood imprisonment in incarceration camps during World War II. Takei is no stranger to sharing personal stories. In addition to his books, he has been the subject of a documentary. There is a musical loosely inspired by his time in wartime incarceration camps. In the last 20 years, he's also discussed his experiences as a gay man, especially as it relates to the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, but "It Rhymes With Takei" is his first deep dive into his full story. Born in Boyle Heights, Takei was just 5 when he and his family were forced out of their Los Angeles home as part of the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during the war. Because he was unjustly persecuted for his identity and perceived as 'different,' when he realized he was different in another way, he kept it close to his chest. 'I grew up behind very real barbed wire fences, but I created my own invisible barbed wire fence … and lived most of my adult life closeted,' says Takei, 88, who came out when he was 68. 'My most personal issue had me imprisoned. … It was a different society that I grew up in. Being closeted was the way to survive if you're LGBTQ.' 'But at the same time as I remained closeted, society was starting to change,' Takei continues. 'It was changing because some LGBTQ people were brave enough [and] determined enough to come out and be active and vocal and engaged.' Since coming out in 2005, Takei has been vocal about issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, wielding his quick wit and gentlemanly poise — as well as his massive platform — to denounce discrimination, blast homophobic public figures and call out other injustices. Read more: George Takei's 'They Called Us Enemy' shows injustice through a child's eyes In 2011, for instance, Takei offered his name to be used as an alternative to the word 'gay' when Tennessee lawmakers were moving to prohibit teachers from any discussion of sexual orientation in the classroom. He continued to speak out against the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill when more states were pushing versions through their legislatures during a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in 2022. As Takei shares stories about his family moving to Skid Row after being released from the wartime incarceration camps, getting introduced to radio and comic books as he adjusted to his new life and the aspirational ideals upheld by 'Star Trek,' he occasionally glances offscreen to banter with his husband, Brad, who is out of frame but close enough to interject if he chooses. They're the sort of comfortable exchanges that come naturally between longtime couples. But for most of his life, Takei believed that he could not be out if he wanted to pursue an acting career. He'd seen firsthand how rumors or getting outed affected the careers of others. And Takei admits that he felt guilty watching fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community as they fought for their rights while he remained silent. When then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a marriage equality bill passed by California's legislature in 2005, Takei knew he could no longer remain on the sidelines. 'I was so raging with anger,' says Takei, who did not reference Schwarzenegger by name. 'We were getting so close [to marriage equality] and I was really elated. But we had a governor that was campaigning by saying, 'I have no problem with it but I'm against it.' … When the bill passed by both the Senate and the Assembly [and] landed on his desk, he vetoed it.' 'The hypocrite,' Takei continues with a raised voice, alluding to Schwarzenegger's extramarital affair. 'I was so angry and determined to come out and join in on the fight.' Takei already had a reputation for fighting for causes he believed in. He volunteered with a humanitarian organization and was involved with student government at Mt Vernon Junior High. He was active in local politics in the 1970s and '80s. He'd also long been a part of the civil rights movement and opposed the Vietnam War. 'Participation in democracy, taking on the responsibility of democracy, was something that I was taught as a teenager to put our internment in context,' says Takei. 'That led me to volunteer for other causes.' Takei credits his father for instilling this sense of responsibility in him. As a teenager, when Takei became interested in understanding his childhood imprisonment beyond his own memories, he would sit down with his father after dinner to ask him about their time in the incarceration camps. During these conversations, Takei says his father would quote Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. ''Ours is the government of the people, by the people and for the people,'' says Takei. 'Those are noble ideals. That's what makes American democracy great. But the weakness of American democracy is also in those words … because the people are fallible. They make mistakes.' Even as these hard-fought rights have been backsliding in recent years as more states have moved to pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Takei remains hopeful. 'Life is cyclical,' says Takei. 'It goes in circles. … We're constantly changing and transforming our society and ourselves.' He points to how the Alien Enemies Act, which was invoked during World War II to wrongly justify the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, is once again being cited by the current administration in its efforts to deport immigrants. (Takei's comments preceded the immigration raids and protests that occurred in L.A. over the weekend.) 'We have this egocentric monster [in office]," says Takei, raising his voice a second time. "He's power-crazy and ... now he's causing all sorts of outrageous inhumanity — it's beyond injustice, it's inhumanity — and we're going through that again. The same thing that we went through [when we were] artificially categorized as enemy alien in 1942.' Takei never once mentions Trump by name, instead calling him "a Klingon president," referencing a well-known alien race from the "Star Trek" franchise. "Klingons are the great threat to a more enlightened society who can see diversity as their strength," says Takei. "We've got to be rid of him." The depictions of Klingons have shifted over the years, but it's clear Takei is invoking the more brutal, prideful and authoritarian version introduced in the original series in the 1960s. And in Roddenberry's more idyllic vision of the future, humanity's strength is in its diversity. ("Infinite diversity in infinite combinations," says Takei.) 'I'm still optimistic,' says Takei. 'These momentary blips in history eventually get overcome and are left behind. We will find our true path.' Get the latest book news, events and more in your inbox every Saturday. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
George Takei believes our democracy will be OK — once the ‘Klingon president' is out of office
Before George Takei broke out with his role on 'Star Trek' and became a cultural icon, his last name was often mispronounced. Instead of 'tuh-kay,' some people would say 'tuck-eye.' 'I told them that's a mispronunciation, but I don't object to it because the word takai in Japanese means 'expensive,'' the actor and advocate says during a recent Zoom call from Boston. 'In fact, I told this to ['Star Trek' creator] Gene Roddenberry when he was interviewing me and he said, 'Oh my goodness, a producer doesn't like to call an actor expensive. Takei is OK.'' Having to educate people about his name is one of the reasons he included it in the playful title of his latest graphic memoir, 'It Rhymes With Takei.' 'I didn't want it to be in their face,' says Takei. 'I thought I'd use [my name] in the title and make the reader work a little bit … Takai? Takei? May, day, pay, say, gay. Oh, gay!' Out Tuesday, 'It Rhymes With Takei' is about the actor's experiences growing up gay at a time when it was much less safe — and thus less common — to be out. The book details Takei's story from his earliest childhood crushes to being compelled to come out in 2005 and becoming the outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist he is today. For 'It Rhymes With Takei,' the author once again teamed up with writers Steven Scott and Justin Eisinger and artist Harmony Becker, his collaborators for 'They Called Us Enemy,' the 2019 graphic memoir about Takei's childhood imprisonment in incarceration camps during World War II. Takei is no stranger to sharing personal stories. In addition to his books, he has been the subject of a documentary. There is a musical loosely inspired by his time in wartime incarceration camps. In the last 20 years, he's also discussed his experiences as a gay man, especially as it relates to the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, but 'It Rhymes With Takei' is his first deep dive into his full story. Born in Boyle Heights, Takei was just 5 when he and his family were forced out of their Los Angeles home as part of the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during the war. Because he was unjustly persecuted for his identity and perceived as 'different,' when he realized he was different in another way, he kept it close to his chest. 'I grew up behind very real barbed wire fences, but I created my own invisible barbed wire fence … and lived most of my adult life closeted,' says Takei, 88, who came out when he was 68. 'My most personal issue had me imprisoned. … It was a different society that I grew up in. Being closeted was the way to survive if you're LGBTQ.' 'But at the same time as I remained closeted, society was starting to change,' Takei continues. 'It was changing because some LGBTQ people were brave enough [and] determined enough to come out and be active and vocal and engaged.' Since coming out in 2005, Takei has been vocal about issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, wielding his quick wit and gentlemanly poise — as well as his massive platform — to denounce discrimination, blast homophobic public figures and call out other injustices. In 2011, for instance, Takei offered his name to be used as an alternative to the word 'gay' when Tennessee lawmakers were moving to prohibit teachers from any discussion of sexual orientation in the classroom. He continued to speak out against the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill when more states were pushing versions through their legislatures during a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in 2022. As Takei shares stories about his family moving to Skid Row after being released from the wartime incarceration camps, getting introduced to radio and comic books as he adjusted to his new life and the aspirational ideals upheld by 'Star Trek,' he occasionally glances offscreen to banter with his husband, Brad, who is out of frame but close enough to interject if he chooses. They're the sort of comfortable exchanges that come naturally between longtime couples. But for most of his life, Takei believed that he could not be out if he wanted to pursue an acting career. He'd seen firsthand how rumors or getting outed affected the careers of others. And Takei admits that he felt guilty watching fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community as they fought for their rights while he remained silent. When then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a marriage equality bill passed by California's legislature in 2005, Takei knew he could no longer remain on the sidelines. 'I was so raging with anger,' says Takei, who did not reference Schwarzenegger by name. 'We were getting so close [to marriage equality] and I was really elated. But we had a governor that was campaigning by saying, 'I have no problem with it but I'm against it.' … When the bill passed by both the Senate and the Assembly [and] landed on his desk, he vetoed it.' 'The hypocrite,' Takei continues with a raised voice, alluding to Schwarzenegger's extramarital affair. 'I was so angry and determined to come out and join in on the fight.' Takei already had a reputation for fighting for causes he believed in. He volunteered with a humanitarian organization and was involved with student government at Mt Vernon Junior High. He was active in local politics in the 1970s and '80s. He'd also long been a part of the civil rights movement and opposed the Vietnam War. 'Participation in democracy, taking on the responsibility of democracy, was something that I was taught as a teenager to put our internment in context,' says Takei. 'That led me to volunteer for other causes.' Takei credits his father for instilling this sense of responsibility in him. As a teenager, when Takei became interested in understanding his childhood imprisonment beyond his own memories, he would sit down with his father after dinner to ask him about their time in the incarceration camps. During these conversations, Takei says his father would quote Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. ''Ours is the government of the people, by the people and for the people,'' says Takei. 'Those are noble ideals. That's what makes American democracy great. But the weakness of American democracy is also in those words … because the people are fallible. They make mistakes.' Even as these hard-fought rights have been backsliding in recent years as more states have moved to pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, Takei remains hopeful. 'Life is cyclical,' says Takei. 'It goes in circles. … We're constantly changing and transforming our society and ourselves.' He points to how the Alien Enemies Act, which was invoked during World War II to wrongly justify the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, is once again being cited by the current administration in its efforts to deport immigrants. (Takei's comments preceded the immigration raids and protests that occurred in L.A. over the weekend.) 'We have this egocentric monster [in office],' says Takei, raising his voice a second time. 'He's power-crazy and ... now he's causing all sorts of outrageous inhumanity — it's beyond injustice, it's inhumanity — and we're going through that again. The same thing that we went through [when we were] artificially categorized as enemy alien in 1942.' Takei never once mentions Trump by name, instead calling him 'a Klingon president,' referencing a well-known alien race from the 'Star Trek' franchise. 'Klingons are the great threat to a more enlightened society who can see diversity as their strength,' says Takei. 'We've got to be rid of him.' The depictions of Klingons have shifted over the years, but it's clear Takei is invoking the more brutal, prideful and authoritarian version introduced in the original series in the 1960s. And in Roddenberry's more idyllic vision of the future, humanity's strength is in its diversity. ('Infinite diversity in infinite combinations,' says Takei.) 'I'm still optimistic,' says Takei. 'These momentary blips in history eventually get overcome and are left behind. We will find our true path.'
