LGBT History Month Icon Of The Day: George Takei

At 75, George Takei , best known for his role as Sulu on "Star Trek," champions both the LGBT and Asian communities. When President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage in May, Takei backed the president up, and just this month, released a video endorsing the commander-in-chief, which urges Asian-Americans to vote this upcoming election.

Takei, a Los Angeles native, has garnered quite the following on social networks and often engages his audience with humor and fun posts, while also tackling serious issues. Takei took on Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay," bill earlier this year and offered his name as a euphemism to replace "gay," such as "that's so Takei."

The star married his husband, Brad Altman, in September 2008, and was one of the very first gay couples to receive a marriage license when California began issuing them to gay couples on June 17 of that year. Then, in November 2008, the state voted in favor of Proposition 8, but Takei and Altman were spared. The California Supreme Court determined that the roughly 18,000 same-sex couples who got married before Prop 8's passage would remain valid.

Marriage equality is obviously an issue that hit home for the actor-activist and he subsequently participated in Dustin Lance Black's reading and LA premiere of "8," a play about Prop 8, in March 2012. In 2006, Takei toured the nation for "Equality Trek," in which he spoke about being a gay Japanese-American. Takei's involvement and dedication to the LGBT community earned him the Human Right Campaign's Equality Award in 2007.

Each day in October, which is LGBT History Month, we'll be featuring a different LGBT icon. Check back tomorrow for a look at another incredible individual who changed history and visit our LGBT History Month Big News Page for more stories.