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Sulu's gay, what do bloggers say?

Michelle Meyers
Michelle Meyers wrote and edited CNET News stories from 2005 to 2020 and is now a contributor to CNET.
Michelle Meyers
2 min read

A good number of bloggers are sci-fi fanatics, none more so than those of the "Trekkie" variety. So at the risk of straying from our focus on all things technology, we feel obligated to address the buzz in blogosphere about today's coming out of "Star Trek's" Sulu, George Takei.

sulu

Takei, 68, who was part of the Starship Enterprise crew through three television seasons and six movies, came out as a homosexual in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly Los Angeles magazine covering the gay and lesbian community, according to The Associated Press. He and his partner, Brad Altman, have been together for 18 years, the story said.

Some of the comments out there, not surprisingly, are off-color, if not ugly and mean. Others are a mix of excitement and disbelief. One blogger wondered how his "space gaydar" could be so off for all these years.

Blog community response:

"Although I was almost inappropriately delighted to learn today that Sulu is gay, I have to confess that I'm kind of irritated at the timing. I mean, yesterday Miers withdraws, then this morning, so-called 'Scooter' Libby resigns. And now here comes George Takei, pushing those stories right off the front page."
--Edgewise

"As I read the article, the striking thing for me wasn't that he is gay. Rather, it was the reference to him living in a U.S. internment camp for Japanese from ages 4 through 8 and growing up ashamed of his ethnicity and sexuality."
--Two World Collision

"I guess now that the old cast is officially not doing movies, Sulu is released from the Federation's official 'Don't ask don't tell' policy...You go girl."
--Mawopi

"There are some who would have us believe that Britney Spear's two-day Las Vegas marriage is more acceptable than Takei's twenty year commitment with his partner, simply because of different bodily sexual equipment, but most readers of this site know better. This is a great day for Takei, and gay Americans every where--not to mention science fiction geeks."
--It's Matt's World

"It's been what, 30 years since he's been someone that America gave a s--- about? Other than the Star Trek fanboys, of course. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great for him that he's come out of the closet, it's just too late for it to make any kind of difference. For that, I'll be honest, I'm a little ticked off."
--soliloqueer