Marriage is the final frontier for Mr Sulu
In the wake of last week’s ruling by the California Supreme Court declaring the ban on gay marriage in the state to be unconstitutional, several celebrity gay couples have announced plans to head to the altar shortly.
First was Ellen DeGeneres, who announced her plans to wed partner Portia de Rossi on Friday.
Now Star Trek icon George Takei has also announced he plans to walk down the aisle with partner Brad Altman.
Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres was the first out celebrity to announce plans to take advantage of the Supreme Court ruling to legally wed.
DeGeneres vowed to tie the knot with partner Portia de Rossi during a live taping of her talk show on Thursday, shortly after the California Supreme Court ruling was handed down. The episode aired on Friday.
De Rossi was in the studio when DeGeneres made the announcement, which was met by loud cheers and a standing ovation of applause by audience members.
“I’m thrilled that the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on gay marriage,” DeGeneres told The Advocate.
“I can’t wait to get married. We all deserve the same rights, and I believe that someday… not allowing gays to marry will seem as absurd as not allowing women to vote.”
On Friday, Star Trek star and community activist George Takei followed suit by declaring his intentions on his web site to officially marry partner Brad Altman.
“No more ‘separate but equal.’ No more second-class citizenship,” Takei wrote.
“Brad and I are going to be married as full citizens of our state.
“Our California dream is reality. Brad Altman and I can now marry. We are overjoyed! At long last, the barrier to full marriage rights for same-sex couples has been torn down. We are equal with all citizens of our state!
“Brad and I have shared our lives together for over 21 years. We’ve worked in partnership; he manages the business side of my career and I do the performing,” Takei continued.
“We’ve traveled the world together from Europe to Asia to Australia. We’ve shared the good times as well as struggled through the bad.
“He helped me care for my ailing mother who lived with us for the last years of her life. He is my love and I can’t imagine life without him. Now, we can have the dignity, as well as all the responsibilities, of marriage. We embrace it all heartily.”
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