Star Trek's Sulu, Partner Wed

George Takei, Partner Brad Altman Marry In Ceremony At L.A.'s Japanese American National Museum

(CBS)  Star Trek's Mister Sulu has agreed to live long and prosper -- with his long time partner.

George Takei, Mr. Sulu on the original "Star Trek," used to dream of a future where unimaginable things would happen. Well, his dream came true. As CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports, Sunday he legally married his partner of 21 years, Brad Altman.

"I thought that I would never have marriage in my life," Takei said.

"We want the responsibilities of marriage, we want the enjoyment of marriage," Altman said.

But first -- the frustration of wedding planning.

That is a sore point you are bringing up. I will talk about marital problems, pre-nups, anything, but don't ask me about planning the wedding," Altman said. "That's sensitive. We didn't get a wedding planner."

Altman planned just about all of it, from the cake, to the fittings, the decorations, the rehearsal. And yesterday, with two of Takei's Star Trek co-stars -- Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig -- by their sides, Takei and Altman exchanged vows and rings -- spouses for life.

"Cloud nine isn't high enough. Cloud 90 I think," Takei said.

Their relationship has been tested. When Takei's mother grew ill with Alzheimers, work kept Takei so busy, Altman became her primary caregiver the last years of her life.

"I mean that was a test of his love and I'm eternally grateful and my love for him is that much deeper," Takei said.

"We are family," Altman added.

Their legal marriage became possible this year when the California Supreme Court overturned the state ban on gay marriage.

"When the news came down." Takei said. "I happened to have a mouthful of sandwich - it was lunchtime - and suddenly Brad dropped on his knees and he said … "

"George, will you marry me?" Altman said. "And you said?"

"Darn it, you beat me to it," Takei said.

But their marriage knot could be undone by a ballot initiative to once again ban same-sex marriage.

On November 4 California voters are going to decide whether our marriage remains legal or is null and void," Altman said. "All of a sudden that's scary to me."

As a child during World War II, Takei and his family were forcibly removed to interment camps with tens-of-thousands of other Japanese Americans. He held his wedding at Los Angeles' Japanese American National Museum to make a point.

"We as gay Americans, we've been stereotyped and characterized as something frightening and threatening as Japanese Americans were before the war," Takei said.

The nullification of their marriage -- an unimaginable future. Their fervent wish ...

"To live long and prosper," Takei said, giving the Vulcan hand signal.

The couple will be on The Early Show tomorrow morning in an exclusive live interview and we will bring some video from their wedding.

[avigil2]

After 21 years of being together, these guys deserve some respect. Congrats to the both of them. We certainly are living in a different century.

[wl7bzh]

How can you people be so heartless and cruel?
Bye now,
NiftyNana

Posted by NiftyNana at 06:11 PM : Sep 15, 2008

Easy, "Philadelphia", was made at a time when "playing the gaye card" by spinning the "heartache" of gay life as fashionable and artsty-fartsy.

After, Big Brother, car companies, and Rosie O''Donnell overdid the gaye thingie, people were no longer impressed with the gaye spin.

Essentially, it went the way of Jessie Jackson screaming "Ima victim cause I black".

Now the public considers Ellen as a great comedian and Rosie as a royal byotch, both of whom just happen to be gaye.

Gaye no longer defines them. Simply much of the public has made a disconnect between the who and the do. People simply get annoyed at public figures running around screaming they''re Gaye, they''re Gaye or I''m black, I''m black.

And since you''re so fond of using movies as an example, I suggest you see the movie "Chicago". One of it''s major themes was "the latest popular spin."

[mitywhity]

...the days of Noah....

[aggiekat2004]

George and Brad...congrats. Here''s to a long and happy life together!

Most hetero couples don''t last that long!

[niftynana]

Captain Kirk:

" Godamit Sulu....I said stay AWAY from Uranus....and his too...!!"

lol


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Posted by tiddsanbeer at 03:17 PM : Sep 15, 2008


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You people are disgusting. I guess Wilt Chamberlin and Magic Johnson are your heroes, huh? I think I''ll just watch Tom Hanks, Antonio Banderas, and Denzel Washington in "Philadelphia." Ever watch that movie? The scene where Andrew and Joe are listening to opera? Or at the hospital when his mom and dad, brothers and sister tell Andrew they love him; the last scene after the funeral, everyone gathered watching home movies of the little boy playing on the beach with his family? How can you people be so heartless and cruel?
Bye now,
NiftyNana

[inventagod2]

I wish them a happy life.

[biggcheese1]

The only question to ask is, "How does the marriage of two gay people affect me personally?" The answer can only be, "it doesn''t." So give it up and let them be as happy or as miserable as any other married couple and stop being assassholesholes about it.

[biggcheese1]

OK, right. Sexsex isn''t the word ***. Let''s try it this way...
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Howzat?

[biggcheese1]

Why on earth would CBS sensor the word ***? Let''s try it a few times and see what happens. Ready?...
sexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsexsex
Wow, the stars are out at CBS. The Columbia BS.

[rosemulder]

Congratulations to George and Brad.

I hope they have many more years of happiness together.

[pjh822]

The trouble with tribbles is they aren''''t gerbils.


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Posted by pmsnbc1 at 10:08 AM : Sep 15, 2008
+ report abuse


ROTFLMAO HILARIOUS!!

[u-r-right]

Richard Wright, Keyboardist and music writer for Pink Floyd has died and yet, THIS story is the main story for the entertainment section. ***?

[wl7bzh]

Who gave the bride away and who gave the groom away?

It was the way George wore the cape on Star Trek that gave him away.

[niftynana]

Let''s just leave off the word "homophobic" even though that is descriptive enough; let''s just say that there are a lot of hateful people everywhere, not just in the U. S. I am a traditional, heterosexual, married, mom, grandmother, and, well, just a human being. I am not in favor of same-*** marriage. I believe that "marriage" should between a man and a woman, but that committed gay couples should have a civil or legal alternative which would give them the "rights" that married couples have; inheritance, child support, health care decision making, etc. I also think it would a terrible, cruel thing to void any marriages performed if the law is reversed later. That would be like reversing Roe vs Wade and then declaring that abortions that were performed during this time were now "illegal."
NiftyNana

[questionnews]

I wonder if Sulu has shown Altman "The Vulcan Backbreaker" that Spock taught him.

[republic1776]

The Honeymoon was on Uranus.

[republic1776]

They were "married" months ago.
The liberal has to keep pushing thier agenda in our faces.
They suppress news they don''t want to hear, and push old news that''s garbage at us mutiple times.

[thevicar1]

Gosh, two fruitcakes ''married'' each other. I think Im gonna cry.

[pmsnbc1]

The trouble with tribbles is they aren''t gerbils.

[NMlost]

Congratulations, George and Brad. May all be well with you.