George Takei

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

This was originally posted as a reply on this post, but I find I'm interested in everyone else's thoughts:

Frankly, I find the sudden outpouring of leftwing fannish love for George Takei vaguely disturbing. Suddenly, the fact that he's queer changes everything? Um. Takei is assimilated. Being gay didn't factor into any of his major accomplishments. The public didn't even know until now, so there really wasn't anything additional for him to overcome beyond being Japanese and American during WWII. In short, the fact that he was made gay (if you believe homosexuality is biologically determined, which I do to a certain extent) is just that - a fact. It doesn't change who he has been all of his life, nor what he has done with the cards he's been dealt.

I don't know if I've made sense in the above. I think what I'm trying to say is that I detest the concept of using a whole, sacred human being as a political commodity. Because that's what I think is happening in this case. The left now sees George Takei as a high profile representative of one of their favored minorities. It's reductionist and wrong.

So what's your take, right-wing fangirls? Am I insane?