The Takei Time
Star Trek put him on the map. Facebook launched him to superstardom. And a musical called Allegiance is earning him raves. What's next for George Takei? Only time will tell.
George Takei and his husband Brad Altman
MW: How many hours a day on Facebook do you spend?
TAKEI: Generally, I spend a couple of hours every day. We also have a stockpile — a backlog — of memes that I’ve commented on, so when I’m working on a film or in rehearsals for Allegiance, we have those backlogs and have interns that post them for us.
MW: Your commentary on the memes is hilarious.
TAKEI: [Laughs.] Well, you know, there’s a punny streak in me.
MW: Do you marvel at how many people are waiting avidly for your next post?
TAKEI: It is amazing. As matter of fact, we can walk down the street, particularly in New York, and people recognize not only me but Brad, because we slip in Brad on some of the videos that we do. And Brad being a little bit taller is more visible in a crowded place and people recognize Brad and then look for me.
MW: You and Brad have been together for how long now?
TAKEI: Twenty-five years now.
MW: What’s the secret to your success?
TAKEI: What we do every night — even after we’ve had an intense argument — is kiss each other before we go to bed. Sometimes it may be a begrudging peck on the cheek.
MW: That’s the secret?
TAKEI: It seems so silly, but yes. We also made a compact. I would make the big overall decisions and Brad would be the guy to execute those decisions. Well, I’ve discovered that sometimes those broad decisions are executed without my making them. [Laughs.]
MW: Do you still wake up in the morning and look at Brad and feel the love that you felt 25 years ago?
TAKEI: Yes. I love to hear his breathing and sometimes his snoring right next to me. Brad travels with me wherever I go, even when it’s some business thing. He’ll roam around the city while I’m in meetings. Our lives are intertwined.
MW: It’s nice to find that kind of lasting love.
TAKEI: It is. And you know, in many ways, because we’re gay and there’s this public sense that gays aren’t stable, we feel that we’re blessed in that we can be as happy as we are together. I don’t mean it in the all lovey-dovey things, but it’s a normal kind of thing between two people. You have your differences and you have your arguments, but that’s all part of it. And at night, when you’re going to bed, you see that all that arguing is really petty and silly. We really love each other and that’s what really counts.
MW: How old is Brad, may I ask?
TAKEI: Brad is 57. I’m 75.
MW: So nearly a 20-year difference between you. Has that ever been an issue?
TAKEI: Well, it is a concern on the part of both of us because we have DOMA to contend with. We had very good friends, a couple — a gay couple — in Washington, D.C. They’d been together for almost 20 years. Mark went out of town on business and when he came back and opened the apartment door, he found his partner on the floor. He had had a heart attack and had passed. His partner’s brother lived in Boston — they were estranged for a long, long time. He happened to be a lawyer and he came down and took everything. And that is a big concern with us. The laws are against us.
That’s what the Boston case that’s before the Supreme Court is all about. It was a lesbian couple, and one passed and because their union — they were married in Massachusetts — but because their union is not federally recognized because we have DOMA, the surviving spouse would have had to pay over half of the deceased’s estate tax, which would not have happened if they were straight. I mean, it’s a cruel situation. And me being older than Brad, I’m very concerned about that. We built our lives together. Our estate is ours, and I want it to go to Brad without that kind of taxation, like any married couple who have been together for 25 years.
There are hundreds of laws that make life difficult and sometimes cruel for LGBT couples because of DOMA. And we are optimistic that we can live to the point where we will see DOMA gone forever — and I think that’s going to be very soon. In fact, next year is going to be a good year, I think, for the LGBT community because that issue is before the Supreme Court. We also have Proposition 8 before the Supreme Court. Two courts have already ruled it unconstitutional and I am almost confident that it’s going to be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. But the Boston case is the important one because it challenges DOMA.
So I think it’s an amazing thing that’s happening in our lifetime. And 2013 is going to be eminently fulfilling for our community. I think the Supreme Court is going to come through for us. I’m an optimist.
George Takei’s Oh, Myyy! is currently available as an e-book on iTunes and Amazon.com. Follow George Takei on Facebook at facebook.com/georgehtakei and on Twitter at @GerogeTakei. Learn more about Allegiance at allegiancemusical.com.
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