George Takei (Photo by Adam Bouska)
Seattle Out & Proud, organizers of Seattle Pride, have announced that George Takei will lead this year’s Seattle Pride Parade as Celebrity Grand Marshal.
Takei is known around the world for his role as Mr. Sulu in the television series Star Trek, in which he played helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. He starred in three seasons of Star Trek and later reprised his iconic role in six movies. He will star in the upcoming Broadway musical “Allegiance.”
An openly gay Japanese American, Takei is also a social justice activist and author who uses his public persona to advance LGBT and human rights around the world.
Takei was interned in two U.S. internment camps during World War II from ages 4 to 8.
He is chairman emeritus and a trustee of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, has served as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign “Coming Out Project,” and was cultural affairs chairman of the Japanese American Citizens League. He was appointed to the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission by former President Clinton, and the government of Japan awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contribution to U.S.-Japanese relations.
Takei lives in Los Angeles with his husband Brad Takei. (end)