It's a news story that's getting almost equal billing to the indictment of a top White House official: George Takei has come out of the closet and admitted publicly that he is gay.

Takei ("Sulu") spoke about his orientation in the current issue of Frontiers, a biweekly L.A. magazine for the gay and lesbian community, and confirmed it with the Associated Press.

Takei told the AP yesterday that his new onstage role in "Equus" (related story) helped inspire him to publicly discuss his sexuality. The current social and political climate also motivated his disclosure.

"The world has changed from when I was a young teen feeling ashamed for being gay," Takei said. "The issue of gay marriage is now a political issue. That would have been unthinkable when I was young."

The 68-year-old actor revealed that he and his partner, Brad Altman, have been together for 18 years. Altman also serves as his business manager.

Takei, a Japanese-American who lived in a U.S. internment camp from age 4 to 8, said he grew up feeling ashamed of his ethnicity and sexuality. He likened prejudice against gays to racial segregation.

"It's against basic decency and what American values stand for," he said.

In the Frontiers interview (related link), Takei says he's been "open" about his relationship, particularly to his family, but simply hasn't talked to the press about it before. "I've not had a good experience with one sibling," he adds. "My mother, initially, had some adjustments to make, but she got to like Brad very much." He and Brad cared for her in their home until she died of Alzheimer's disease.

Takei further discusses how he has lived with the dual shame of being both a Japanese-American and a homosexual. "And then [as you grow older], with reading, and talking to other people, your understanding of the situation starts to grow. And you think, 'It's wrong, this [shame] is not right.' And you start sharing it with more people," he says.

"We talk about diversity, ethnic diversity, but there's another kind of diversity [sexual orientation] that we haven't really come to grips with as a society. And the segregationist mentality is so strong, but it's as destructive as racial segregation was in the South, or incarceration on the basis of looking like the enemy, as in the case of Japanese-Americans during the second World War — you know, it's that same mentality, and in order to be vocal on those issues, I think I need to address those issues as who I am," he states.

Takei further decries "Bible-thumping religiosos" for imposing their version of truth on the rest of society. He also refers to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as "a dangerous politician" for backtracking on his support of gay rights and acting "in a segregationist way."

Takei's 1994 autobiography "To the Stars" avoids any discussion of his personal relationships, focusing mainly on his childhood experiences and acting career.