George Takei Not Happy Sulu is Gay

You might think that George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek series and who is a noted LGBT activist, would be thrilled that the contemporary version of his character is going to come out as gay in the latest Star Trek movie, but he's not.

"Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of [series creator] Gene [Rodenberry's] creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate," Takei told The Hollywood Reporter.

Sulu will be revealed as having a same-sex partner in Star Trek Beyond, which debuts on July 22, but Takei thinks the twist is in contradiction to Sulu's history. Takei insists that Sulu has always been heterosexual, although no references to his sexuality were ever made in the original series or in any of the Star Trek properties over which creator Rodenberry had creative control. Rodenberry, in fact, was unwilling to take the risk of addressing the topic of homosexuality in the original series, Takei recalls.

The decision to make a point of Sulu's sexuality came from writer Simon Pegg and director Justin Lin, who saw the move as a way to honor Takei. Takei, however, remains outspokenly critical of the decision, arguing that the franchise's writers should create a new gay character instead of revising the history of an existing character.