Emotion is the sword in the anti-Prop 8 ballot measure in California as gay couples use their weddings in the fight to take away the definition of marriage away from the will of the public:
George Takei of “Star Trek” fame and his partner, Brad Altman, are working with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to publicize their Sept. 14 wedding in an effort to put a “public face” on the gay marriage issue. The Human Rights Campaign, meanwhile, has listed them as the first couple on their online registry.
Takei, 71, and Altman, 54, have also asked friends and family to make donations in honor of the wedding to the Japanese-American National Museum in Los Angeles, where they are holding their ceremony.
“We don’t need another toaster or another set of silverware,” said Takei, who is of Japanese ancestry. “So we thought we’d have people who want to celebrate with a gift, do that with these two institutions.”
Yager, the wedding planner, said same-sex couples have found other ways to provide monetary support to defeating Proposition 8, including purchasing wedding favors from vendors that will then donate the proceeds to gay rights organizations.
The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center has made the process easier by creating an online resource for same-sex couples. The site lists more than 60 wedding businesses _ providing everything from invitations to lighting _ that donate to the center, which has given $200,000 to the No on 8 campaign, said spokesman Jim Key.
