Latest news with #Klingon
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
George Takei gets candid about coming out, feud with Trump: 'Biggest Klingon around'
George Takei gets candid about coming out, feud with Trump: 'Biggest Klingon around' George Takei didn't come out as gay until he was 68, but don't refer to it as his time in the closet. A more apt word would be 'imprisoned,' he tells USA TODAY. The 'Star Trek' actor knows what it's like to be imprisoned – when he was 5 years old, during World War II, soldiers carrying rifles marched up to his house and took him and his family to Japanese internment camps. He spent part of his childhood behind barbed wire. Takei has written several books, including a first-hand account of his time at those camps in 'They Called Us Enemy.' In his latest book, 'It Rhymes With Takei' (out now from Penguin Random House), the actor gives his most intimate look yet at coming out as gay, as well as a look back at his childhood, adulthood, political activism and acting career. George Takei shares coming out story in new book 'It Rhymes With Takei' is a graphic novel, an intentional choice to give it accessibility, Takei says. His youth was a 'childhood of deprivation,' with no radio or newspapers, 'moving around at the point of a bayonet,' he says. When his family was released and moved to Skid Row, it was comic books that opened up his world. Takei hopes his graphic memoir – with bright colors and engaging illustrations by Harmony Becker, Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott – will reach audiences young and old. He especially wants it to resonate with young activists. The title 'It Rhymes With Takei' is a callback to a signature humorous Takei take. In 2011, he fired back at 'don't say gay' legislation introduced in Tennessee by lending his name to the cause because it rhymes (he pronounces his last name ta-kay, not tak-eye). 'If you're in a festive mood, you can march in a Takei Pride parade!' Takei said in a 2011 YouTube video. Takei's first acting gig was pretending to be straight. He realized he was different from his heterosexual peers shortly after his family got out of internment. Today, he uses the word 'imprisoned' because that's what it felt like – when he left the barbed wires of his childhood, he felt similarly confined living inauthentically. Though he had relationships with men throughout most of his adult life, he didn't come out until 2005. In the years leading up to that, he'd watched close friends die from AIDS. He saw more and more activists speaking out. Not being open about his sexuality came 'with a sense of guilt,' Takei says. Though he'd been with now-husband Brad Altman for 20 years, their relationship was mostly secret. He never felt he could be his 'whole self,' he writes in the book. 'Here I am protecting my job, my career, what I want to do, while others who had the same difference that I did were sacrificing all that and actively engaging with the larger society and making progress,' he tells USA TODAY. The eventual catalyst was when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would legalize gay marriage in California. In 2008, when it became legal, Takei and Altman were the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license in West Hollywood. Now, two decades after coming out, he's found the 'whole' George Takei. 'It feels very liberating,' Takei says. 'I don't have to be on my guard, kind of mentally fencing and saying what I want to say but without giving myself away. I developed that skill, but now I don't need to. I can be candid and forthright.' George Takei slams Trump, anti-LGBTQ legislation in new book Among the topics he's unabashedly speaking about is President Donald Trump, who vowed to use the Alien Enemies Act to round up certain groups of immigrants. The same law was used to detain Japanese Americans, like Takei's family. 'We obviously have not learned a lesson from that chapter of American history,' Takei says. Takei has a long history of activism and public service, from volunteering with the Red Cross as a teenager to working on democratic political campaigns to serving on a Southern California committee to initiate and plan the Los Angeles subway system. He was a member of an anti-war activist group in Hollywood alongside Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. He protested nuclear testing and once ran for the LA City Council. Since he came out, he's been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2013, after he appeared on a season of Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice," Takei met Trump for lunch inside Trump Tower in New York, hoping to make the case for the 'financial benefits' of marriage equality to him. He was unsuccessful. Then in 2015, Trump told Time Magazine he might have supported internment. At the time, Takei was starring in a Broadway musical inspired by his family's internment experience, 'Allegiance.' Takei saved Trump a seat in the audience every night. 'If you want to see how tough it was from the comfort of your seat, you can be there with us in the camps and get a glimpse of what it was like for families like mine who were unjustly imprisoned thanks to a politics of fear, much like the one you're campaigning on,' Takei said in a YouTube video at the time. Trump never showed. Ten years and two Trump administrations later, Takei fears for the state of democracy under the leader he calls 'the biggest Klingon around,' a reference to the humanoid alien antagonists in 'Star Trek.' A few things give him hope, however, namely that 'the Republicans are starting to fight amongst themselves.' 'Change is constant and change will come,' Takei says. 'I'm working to make sure that we participate in making it a better, more responsible democracy. No more Klingons.' Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton Oilers return to the scene of their greatest heartbreak
SUNRISE, FLA. — Is there a song you can't bear to listen to because it reminds you of someone from your past? Is there a restaurant that reminds you of a happier time with a person who later ripped your heart out and fed it to you? What about that one coach whom you never forgave for cutting you from the team back in junior high? Article content Imagine those scars, amplified. Article content We all watched the videos that came from the visitors' dressing room at Amerant Bank Arena after the Oilers' one-goal loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final. There were tears. Anger. Promises that they'd be back to challenge for the Cup. It's telling that the videos of the Oilers in pain became the most-remembered images from Game 7, not of the Panthers skating around the ice with the Cup. Connor McDavid deciding to stay in the dressing room rather than skate back onto the ice to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy was a big deal, whether you sympathize with the player or not. Article content Article content Article content Defenceman Mattias Ekholm said it's fitting that the team is back in Florida in June. Article content 'It's obviously for the right reasons,' he said. 'It feels good.' Article content And he said players can't hide from the strong emotions that the Cup brings. 'That's what this is. That's what everybody feels. Everybody cares in there. This is what everybody wants, it's the ultimate.' Article content The Oilers played in Florida in late February, losing 4-3 as part of a four-game swoon that followed the Four Nations. But the trip to South Florida allowed the Oilers to exorcise a lot of the demons. They used that same dressing room. Article content It's no longer time to look back, said Ekholm. Article content 'And I think everybody is so focused, it doesn't matter what room we walk into,' said Ekholm. 'We just focus on the task at hand.' Article content Article content Coach Kris Knoblauch said that even if the Oilers win in 2025, it won't avenge the 2024 loss. While winning the Cup this season is the goal, it doesn't ease the pain of last year. So, you can't apply the famed Klingon proverb 'revenge is a dish best served cold' to this series, because it's not about that. Each year is taken in isolation, just as a successful team knows how to prepare for each game in isolation. As well, these aren't the exact same rosters from last year. Both teams added and subtracted. And, for some of the Oilers who left the team after 2024, they might never get back to the final. Article content Article content 'But I think everyone's focus is on this season. But, no matter what happens, I don't think that changes or helps anything. It's just that we're in a new stage of our season or path, and we're just focused on what we need to do.'
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Edmonton Oilers return to the scene of their greatest heartbreak
SUNRISE, FLA. — Is there a song you can't bear to listen to because it reminds you of someone from your past? Is there a restaurant that reminds you of a happier time with a person who later ripped your heart out and fed it to you? What about that one coach whom you never forgave for cutting you from the team back in junior high? Imagine those scars, amplified. We all watched the videos that came from the visitors' dressing room at Amerant Bank Arena after the Oilers' one-goal loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final . There were tears. Anger. Promises that they'd be back to challenge for the Cup. It's telling that the videos of the Oilers in pain became the most-remembered images from Game 7, not of the Panthers skating around the ice with the Cup. Connor McDavid deciding to stay in the dressing room rather than skate back onto the ice to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy was a big deal, whether you sympathize with the player or not. And, now, after splitting the first two games of the 2025 Cup final at Rogers Place, the Oilers are back in Sunrise, Fla. Back in the place where they shed their tears. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Is there an emotional hangover? Defenceman Mattias Ekholm said it's fitting that the team is back in Florida in June. 'It's obviously for the right reasons,' he said. 'It feels good.' And he said players can't hide from the strong emotions that the Cup brings. 'That's what this is. That's what everybody feels. Everybody cares in there. This is what everybody wants, it's the ultimate.' The Oilers played in Florida in late February, losing 4-3 as part of a four-game swoon that followed the Four Nations. But the trip to South Florida allowed the Oilers to exorcise a lot of the demons. They used that same dressing room. It's no longer time to look back, said Ekholm. 'And I think everybody is so focused, it doesn't matter what room we walk into,' said Ekholm. 'We just focus on the task at hand.' Coach Kris Knoblauch said that even if the Oilers win in 2025, it won't avenge the 2024 loss. While winning the Cup this season is the goal, it doesn't ease the pain of last year. So, you can't apply the famed Klingon proverb 'revenge is a dish best served cold' to this series, because it's not about that. Each year is taken in isolation, just as a successful team knows how to prepare for each game in isolation. As well, these aren't the exact same rosters from last year. Both teams added and subtracted. And, for some of the Oilers who left the team after 2024, they might never get back to the final. 'I think, no matter how much time passes, it will always be on your mind, being that close,' said Knoblauch 'But I think everyone's focus is on this season. But, no matter what happens, I don't think that changes or helps anything. It's just that we're in a new stage of our season or path, and we're just focused on what we need to do.' The Oilers are staying in a different hotel this year, though. 'I heard the other one is booked,' Ekholm said with a wry smile. Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters . You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Edmonton Oilers return to the scene of their greatest heartbreak
SUNRISE, FLA. — Is there a song you can't bear to listen to because it reminds you of someone from your past? Is there a restaurant that reminds you of a happier time with a person who later ripped your heart out and fed it to you? What about that one coach whom you never forgave for cutting you from the team back in junior high? Article content Imagine those scars, amplified. Article content We all watched the videos that came from the visitors' dressing room at Amerant Bank Arena after the Oilers' one-goal loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final. There were tears. Anger. Promises that they'd be back to challenge for the Cup. It's telling that the videos of the Oilers in pain became the most-remembered images from Game 7, not of the Panthers skating around the ice with the Cup. Connor McDavid deciding to stay in the dressing room rather than skate back onto the ice to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy was a big deal, whether you sympathize with the player or not. Article content Article content And, now, after splitting the first two games of the 2025 Cup final at Rogers Place, the Oilers are back in Sunrise, Fla. Back in the place where they shed their tears. Article content Article content Defenceman Mattias Ekholm said it's fitting that the team is back in Florida in June. Article content 'It's obviously for the right reasons,' he said. 'It feels good.' Article content And he said players can't hide from the strong emotions that the Cup brings. 'That's what this is. That's what everybody feels. Everybody cares in there. This is what everybody wants, it's the ultimate.' Article content The Oilers played in Florida in late February, losing 4-3 as part of a four-game swoon that followed the Four Nations. But the trip to South Florida allowed the Oilers to exorcise a lot of the demons. They used that same dressing room. Article content It's no longer time to look back, said Ekholm. Article content 'And I think everybody is so focused, it doesn't matter what room we walk into,' said Ekholm. 'We just focus on the task at hand.' Article content Article content Coach Kris Knoblauch said that even if the Oilers win in 2025, it won't avenge the 2024 loss. While winning the Cup this season is the goal, it doesn't ease the pain of last year. So, you can't apply the famed Klingon proverb 'revenge is a dish best served cold' to this series, because it's not about that. Each year is taken in isolation, just as a successful team knows how to prepare for each game in isolation. As well, these aren't the exact same rosters from last year. Both teams added and subtracted. And, for some of the Oilers who left the team after 2024, they might never get back to the final. Article content Article content 'But I think everyone's focus is on this season. But, no matter what happens, I don't think that changes or helps anything. It's just that we're in a new stage of our season or path, and we're just focused on what we need to do.'
Gizmodo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
30 Years on, Voyager's B'Elanna Split Episode Remains Fascinatingly Fraught
Star Trek has always been fascinated with the idea of characters pulled between two worlds. Spock's exploration of his human heritage, Worf's status on TNG as an early example of post-peace Klingon integration with the Federation, even Sisko's position as a Starfleet officer thrust into the simultaneous roles of guiding diplomat, military leader, and spiritual emissary—time and time again the series has been drawn to this character archetype across ideas of race and status. Early Star Trek Voyager was no exception with its interest in B'Elanna Torres, one of the show's early breakout characters. The Maquis rebel turned chief engineer who embodied this trope not just through her own journey as an ex-guerrilla, but also as a half-Klingon woman—and the show's first real attempt to explore that latter, 30 years ago today in 'Faces,' had to tread fertile, yet highly contentious ground. 'Faces' was the 14th episode of Voyager's debut season, and saw the return of the Vidiians, a race of aliens forced to harvest organs and body parts from other species to try and avoid being ravaged by a horrifying plague. Having captured a handful of Voyager crew while they were on an away mission, B'Elanna included, a Vidiian scientist eager to explore the potential impact of regenerative elements in Klingon DNA in battling that plague uses his people's advanced medical technology to reach an unorthodox conclusion: split B'Elanna into two people. Completely separated down to the genetic level into separate human and Klingon individuals (both played by Torres actress Roxann Dawson, with the help of photo double Joy Kilpatrick), both B'Elannas ultimately have to overcome their differences to find a way to escape the Vidiians alongside their fellow captured crewmates. The idea makes literal Star Trek's aforementioned fascination with characters who struggle to reconcile being from two very different backgrounds, but by making B'Elanna's first real exploration of her biracial identity on the show so literal, 'Faces' has to skirt some pretty wild lines that it can never really quite interrogate. Much of the conflict between the human B'Elanna and the Klingon B'Elanna is derived from what is ultimately presented by the episode as genetically derived traits. Human B'Elanna is physically and emotionally weaker, repeatedly incapacitated by fear as she struggles to adapt to being held prisoner by the Vidiians. Klingon B'Elanna, meanwhile, plays up the established Klingon caricature of violence and anger issues, an underlying arrogance that sees her seek conflict before anything else. It's made especially fraught given the post-TNG re-imagining of the Klingons away from their original (and similarly racially fraught!) depictions and toward a race of almost exclusively dark-skinned humanoids, alongside other Afro-inspired traits like textured hair. The image of a slight light-skinned human B'Elanna (for what it's worth, Dawson is of Puerto Rican descent) cowering in the presence of her aggressively framed, dark-skinned Klingon self is brought up time and time again in 'Faces,' as the two argue with each other over being 'cursed' with the negative traits of the other, human B'Elanna lamenting her Klingon temper as being the reason she ultimately left Starfleet Academy. Even though by the end of 'Faces' the two come to an understanding, and the Klingon B'Elanna is allowed to sacrifice herself to protect the human B'Elanna she had admonished as her lesser, it's still presented in more of a way of the noble savage trope than it is a particularly enlightened re-imagining of their bond. But while 'Faces' ultimately concludes that the two B'Elannas work better together, it doesn't exactly interrogate the racialized element at play between them in presenting her internal conflict over her biracial identity as an external one. Even the climax of the episode, when B'Elanna has reached that aforementioned understanding with her Klingon self, handles it in a compromised manner—her re-embrace of her Klingon side is done as much out of any kind of acceptance as it is the fact that she's told that she has to re-integrate with her Klingon DNA, without which she won't survive. The episode's final moments are intriguingly framed: the still-human-appearing B'Elanna tells Chakotay as she sits in Voyager's sickbay waiting to undergo surgery that while she now appreciates and admires aspects of her Klingon self, she is also reckoning with the fact that she will fight that version of herself for the rest of her life, before stroking her smooth forehead in solitude for one last time before the physical reminder of her internal struggle returns. For much of the rest of Voyager, the series' exploration of B'Elanna's racial identity will be explored through her damaged relationship with her Klingon mother, rather than her own internal attitudes to being part-Klingon. That is, with one significant, equally wild exception: the season seven episode 'Lineage,' which sees a newly pregnant B'Elanna attempt to genetically alter her child in-utero to ensure they are born fully human. It's fascinating that much of the show's exploration of her identity is bookended with these episodes that are broadly in conversation with each other, and not necessarily in the best of ways. 'Lineage,' while providing a level of understanding for B'Elanna's choices, is at least much more definitive in its view that her apprehensive view of being part-Klingon is misguided, and her actions in the episode are equivocally in the wrong. Perhaps then, 'Faces' walked so it could run—and provide a chance to do a bit more right by a character Voyager had been deeply interested in from its earliest beginnings.
