Larry King Live with George Takei and Brad Altman on 20090527. In October 2005, Takei revealed in an issue of Frontiers magazine that he is gay and has been in a committed relationship with his partner, Brad Altman, for the last eighteen years. He said, "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."[19] Nevertheless, Takei's sexuality had been an open secret among Star Trek fans since the 1970s, and Takei did not conceal his active membership in LGBT organizations including Frontrunners where he developed public friendships with fellow Frontrunners Kevin Norte and his partner Don Norte prior to Takei's coming out in 2005.[20][21] In an on-air telephone interview with Howard Stern, in December 2005, Takei explained, "[LGBT people] are masculine, we are feminine, we are caring, we are abusive. We are just like straight people, in terms of our outward appearance and our behavior. The only difference is that we are oriented to people of our own gender." Takei also described Altman as "a saint" for helping to take care of Takei's terminally ill mother. Takei currently serves as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project." In 2006 he embarked on a nationwide "Equality Trek" speaking tour sharing his life as a gay Japanese American, his eighteen year relationship with Altman, Frontrunners, and Star Trek, encouraging others to share their own personal stories.[22][23] In the wake of the 2007 controversy over ex-NBA player Tim Hardaway's anti-gay statements, Takei recorded a 'Public Service Announcement' which began as a serious message of tolerance, then turned the tables on Hardaway by proclaiming that while he may hate gay people, they love him and other "sweaty basketball players." This was aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Takei also appeared on the Google float at San Francisco Pride 2007.[24] On May 16, 2008, Takei announced that he and Brad Altman would be getting married. On June 17, shortly after Takei and Altman obtained their marriage license, they spread the news by holding a press conference outside the West Hollywood city auditorium.[25] They were married on September 14, 2008 at the Democracy Forum of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles (Takei is one of the founders).[26] Walter Koenig was his best man, and Nichelle Nichols was the matron of Honor. Reverend William Briones of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple of Los Angeles presided over the ceremony.[27] William Shatner has stated that he was not invited to the wedding. Takei claims Shatner was invited, but did not RSVP.[28] Takei's friend, author Peter David, corroborated Takei's account, relating a conversation he had with the couple the previous July in which both Takei and Altman stated their intention to invite Shatner. Thanks in advance to Larry for permission to show this important social issues clip. TIMELINE OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE Various types of same-sex marriages have existed,[29] ranging from informal, unsanctioned relationships to highly ritualized unions.[30] In the southern Chinese province of Fujian, through the Ming dynasty period, females would bind themselves in contracts to younger females in elaborate ceremonies.[31] Males also entered similar arrangements. This type of arrangement was also similar in ancient European history.[32] The first recorded mention of the performance of same-sex marriages occurred during the early Roman Empire.[33] These same sex marriages were solemnized with the same ceremonies and customs which were used for heterosexual marriages.[34] Cicero mentions the marriage (using the latin verb for "to marry", i.e. nubere) of the son of Curio the Elder in a casual manner as if it was commonplace. Cicero states that the younger Curio was "united in a stable and permanent marriage" to Antonius.[35] Martial also mentions a number of gay marriages.[36] By Juvenal's time, gay marriages seem to have become commonplace as he mentions attending gay marriages as if there were "nothing special.".[37] These gay marriages continued until Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. A law in the Theodosian Code (C. Th. 9.7.3) was issued in 342 AD by the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans. This law prohibited same-sex marriage in ancient Rome and ordered that those who were so married were to be executed. So again the Christians enact their perniciously evil and vile Bronze Age Immoral Values upon others killing many in the process. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_same-sex_marriage#cite_note-31

• published: 28 May 2009
• views: 19490