Most Trekkies already love George Takei and know him by his portrayal of Mr. (Hikaru) Sulu, the helmsman of the U.S.S. Enterprise on the original Start Trek. Younger people may recognize him (vaguely) from the sometimes-funny television show Family Guy, when his character often struts through the room during references to homosexuality and says, “Hellooooo.” Not only did George Takei age much better than Captain Kirk/William Shatner; he is openly gay, and actively participates in gay rights and other human rights campaigns. He’s also a Buddhist. The guy is completely cool.
His coolness factor just went up several degrees when he took on the disgusting bill that Tennessee recently passed. You may have heard of what’s being dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” otherwise known as Senate Bill 49 in conjunction with House Bill 229, which was passed by the blatantly homophobic and anti-gay health and overall bullying buttholes of a Tennessee Senate committee, otherwise known as the We Hate Gay Kids Club.
The bill basically states that teachers in the state are not allowed to teach kids in grades k-8 anything about sexuality other than heterosexual material. This includes the “furnishing of materials,” so I guess gems like And Tango Makes Three and that one episode of Arthur about a child raised by lesbian moms are both out of the curriculum. Way to go, Tennessee, for alienating both your homosexual students as well as any homosexual students even further than they already are! Having been taught about sex education in the fifth grade and remembering how awkward it was for me (and I’d already had the talk with my mother), I can only imagine what it would be like to sit through all of that and have only part of it apply to me, feeling confused and angry and outcast that someone might suggest my body be used in a way that I would never use it.
Well, like most human beings with any sense in their brains, George Takei decided that this was an ignorant, counterproductive piece of legislation—not just because of our current climate of prejudice that often leads to gay teens taking their own lives, but also because it’s an example of gross neglect and withholding of vital information to gay teens who need to know about their sexual health just as much as the straight teens do (and whose parents pay for said education just as much as heterosexual teens’ parents pay their taxes, ahem).
So he decided to loan his name out to any Tennessee teachers who want to bypass the bill. Instead of saying “gay,” they can say, “Takei.” This will enable them to teach any kids who have questions about their bodies without, you know, being suspended for doing their f*cking jobs. While teachers may not take him up on his generous offer, Takei’s campaign serves another purpose besides its straightforward one; it raises awareness against the asinine bill (and the waste of taxes it provides!) by going viral, making fun of it, and even saying we should now replace the words “gay apparel” with “Takei apparel” in “Deck the Halls.”
Some are calling it a publicity stunt, but I am absolutely in love with George Takei’s campaign and would love to buy some of its merchandise, which you can check out here. Also be sure to watch his video, “It’s OK to Be Takei,” below.