George Takei Says He Came Out as Gay Because Arnold Schwarzenegger Vetoed Gay Marriage

Star Trek George Takei, actor, said that he was inspired to openly come out as gay late on in his life by then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) vetoed the state’s gay marriage legislation.

“I was so angry that I spoke to the press for the first time as a gay man at the age of 68,” According to reports, he said this in a recent interview The Stage, a British theatre publication.

George Takei (now 85) recounted his 2005 experience in an interview with FrontiersLos Angeles gay magazine, ”.

“Why did I come out when I did? Because Schwarzenegger presented himself as a movie star who had worked and was friends with gays and lesbians, many of whom voted for him, but then vetoed that bill. I was so angry that I spoke to the press for the first time as a gay man at the age of 68,” The Stage was informed by him.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fills his first Hydrogen Hummer as he joins representatives from BP & PRAXAIR for the dedication of the first retail-designed hydrogen station at LAX in Los Angeles on Friday, October 22, 2004. (AP Photo/Ann Johansson)

Takei claimed that he was already married to his now-husband and was not afraid of coming out.

“Why did it take me so long to come out?” He stated. “Because I’m an actor and I wanted to work. I learned at a young age that you couldn’t be an openly gay actor and hope to be employed. And I was already an Asian-American actor, so I was already limited a lot. To this day, there are big Hollywood actors who are not out in order to protect their careers.”

2005: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed A.B. 849 would have legalized same-sex marriages in California. A.B. was vetoed by him two years later. 43, also known by the Religious Freedom & Civil Marriage Protection Act which would have allowed same-sex marriage to be legalized in the state, was vetoed two years later.

After leaving Sacramento and resuming his Hollywood career, Schwarzenegger made an about-face and publicly supported gay marriage, even praising the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

George Takei was the winner of the George Takei Award last year told Americans to stop complaining about soaring inflation, telling consumers they need to put up with higher food and gas prices in order to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The actor was called inflation  “a patriotic donation.”

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