George Takei to Be Keynote Speaker at Berkeley Jodo Shinshu Center’s “Being Gay, Being Buddhist” Seminar

Oh, my…

This from Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly Online:

Actor, activist, and humorous social media powerhouse George Takei is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at “Being Gay, Being Buddhist – The LGBTQ Community and Shin Buddhism,” a seminar being organized by the Buddhist Churches of America on Saturday, June 28, 10 am – 3 pm, at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California. Other speakers will include Pieper and Lois Toyama on “Parenting our LGBTQ Children,” and Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara, who “will provide an overview of Buddhist, particularly Jodo Shinshu, doctrinal views relevant to the LGBTQ community.” (See Rev. Kuwahara’s article, “Is My Sangha Inclusive?” from the Buddhadharma archives.)

George Takei, best known for his role as Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek television series, grew up attending Senshin Buddhist Temple in Southern California and as a UC Berkeley student he attended the Berkeley Buddhist Temple. He and his partner, Brad, were married by Rev. William Briones, resident minister of the LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Last month, he was the recipient of the GLAAD Award in New York, for his role in fighting for equity in the media field.

Read more here.