Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith

Movies

Sundance: ‘Star Trek”s Sulu Slams Utah Governor on Gay Marriage

PARK CITY – Utah residents set phasers for stunned when a guest at the state’s Sundance Film Festival attacked their governor, and implicitly the whole state, for not backing gay marriage.

George Takei, the gay “Star Trek” and “Celebrity Apprentice” actor who is here to promote a documentary about his life, “To Be Takei,” called Gov. Gary Herbert “stupid” and “mean” for withdrawing state recognition from some 1,300 gay marriages that took place in the state because of a district court judge’s ruling that Utah must be forced to recognize gay marriages under the Constitution. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor granted the state a stay in recognizing gay marriages while the courts sort out the matter.

In an interview with Deadline.com, Takei said Herbert “consciously and mean-spiritedly refused to recognize the marriages that already happened. I’m stunned by his stupidity. Apparently he believes in governing by hysteria — that’s the only way it can interpreted.”

“This governor now is trying to put the toothpaste that’s been squeezed out back into the tube. It’s something that can’t be done.”

Takei and his husband Brad Takei, né Altman, were married in Los Angeles in 2008, each clad in a matching white tuxedo. They made their entrance at the reception to the strains of the Broadway showstopper, “One,” from “A Chorus Line.” Both men, who have been a couple for more than 25 years, star in Jennifer Kroot’s documentary, premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Takei in Star Trek

Citing the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, the district judge ordered the state to recognize gay marriage in a surprise ruling on Dec. 20. Not so fast, Sotomayor said in her stay, issued Jan. 6. The Justice is in charge of emergency appeals from Utah and neighboring states. Utah’s referendum defining marriage as between one man and one woman carried with 66 percent of the vote in 2004, but a poll this month suggested support for state recognition of gay marriage in Utah is now up to 48 percent.

Takei said, “We thought the timing would amazing. Important historically events were happening in the progress of equality for the LGBT community and so to have this chronicled would be a fantastic thing to have, and so we agreed to do it. And here we are premiering in a state that still reflects that struggle that we have.”