An asteroid between Mars and Jupiter has been renamed 7307 Takei in honour of openly gay actor George Takei, who is perhaps best known for playing Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series and movies. In it's description of the asteroid, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory “Small-Body Database” (where the picture above comes from) describes the human namesake, saying:
George Takei (b. 1937) is an actor best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series. He also has a lengthy record of public service through his involvement with organizations such as the Japanese American Citizens League and the Human Rights Campaign. The name was suggested by T. H. Burbine.
Other bodies named for Star Trek-related individuals are 4659 Roddenberry, named for Gene Roddenberry (creator of the various Star Trek series and movies) and 68410 Nichols, named for Takei's co-star Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura (and who had the first bi-racial kiss on American television).
But just how long do think it'll take for the frothing far right chistianists in America to go batshit crazy over the fact that when they look up into the heavens they could very well be looking at an object named after an openly-gay man?
4 comments:
Openly gay, really? We still need to use that term? Openly gay hits me and makes me crinch like Nigger does. Openly gay suggests that there is some reason to be ashamed of being gay and the fact that somebody doesn't hide it is somehow shocking and worthy of reporting on. Openly gay should be shoved off to the dustbin of history.
Love ya Arthur!
Mike, I think the closeted antics of people like Ted Haggard and Larry Craig almost REQUIRE that we differentiate between openly gay and just gay right now. I find it far less offensive than you, apparently, although I understand where you're coming from.
I think if the right wingers ever take their heads out of their asses long enough to (1) learn to read and (2) look up at the sky, they won't see the stars because the air is so polluted from the gigantic cars they buy and the factories they support.
And speaking of bad Christians - have you heard what's going down at Oral (tee hee!) Robert's University as of late?
Mike: I hadn't thought of that perspective before. For me the phrase comes from a time when the media favoured other, far worse terms.
Eric: You make a really good point, too. Maybe I should write a post just on this.
Dawn: So true! Yes, I did hear about the Oral troubles (that makes it sound like they need a dentist...). With these fundies, it's always sex or money that's their undoing, and this just proves that.
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