I was pursuing my acting career, but I was silent on the LGBT issue, the issue that was closest to me. I knew if I came out then, I'd have had to change careers.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the challenges of being true to oneself while pursuing a career.
George Takei expresses the internal struggle he faced between his professional aspirations in acting and his personal identity as a member of the LGBT community. He acknowledges that being open about his sexuality could have jeopardized his career, highlighting the difficult choices many individuals in marginalized communities must confront when navigating societal expectations and professional ambitions.
In practice
In a speech about acceptance during Pride Month.
I remembered some people who lived across the street from our home as we were being taken away. When I was a teenager, I had many after-dinner conversations with my father about our internment. He told me that after we were taken away, they came to our house and took everything. We were literally stripped clean.
I'd like to think that, when I explain it, that Mr. Trump will understand marriage is defined by two people who love each other, commit to each other, and will care for each other through thick and thin.
Back in the day, coming out was something very personal. You began by acknowledging the truth, first to yourself, then to close family and friends. Those of us more in the public spotlight, though, also had to 'come out' to the press.
My father told me about American democracy. And he said you have to be actively engaged in the political process to make our democracy work. So I've been doing that my entire life. Civil rights movement. The peace movement during the Vietnam conflict. The movement to get an apology and redress for Japanese-Americans.
I'm especially concerned about the future of this country, because I'm concerned about the gay people of the future. We need to ensure their good life by registering to vote.
In many ways, my decision to come out changed the course not only of my personal life but of my professional one as well.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
When you're faced with something for the first time, and if you're scared to death of that, you might want to reconcile your life beforehand.
I knew someone had to take the first step. So I made up my mind not to move.
Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved.
All of us feel, I think, that our experiences can be the worst possible thing you can go through and that we're alone in it, which is isolating and intense and insurmountable. But we can get over it.
It could be worse,' Passini said respectfully. "There is nothing worse than war." Defeat is worse." I do not believe it," Passini said still respectfully. "What is defeat? You go home.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.