George Takei is hoping to convince
Donald Trump to back marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
Takei married longtime partner Brad
Altman in California. The couple was the first to receive a
gender-neutral marriage license in West Hollywood on June 17, 2008.
Voter approval of Proposition 8, however, put an end to the gay
weddings taking place in California. Roughly 18,000 gay couples
remain married in the state, include Takei and Altman.
On Saturday, Takei tweeted that Trump
had accepted his offer to discuss the issue over lunch.
“Donald Trump has accepted my lunch
invitation to hear me out on same-sex marriage,” Takei messaged to
his nearly 300,000 followers. “Hope I can change his mind!”
According to the New York Daily
News, Takei, who appears in the current season of Trump's The
Celebrity Apprentice, first extended the invitation on Thursday.
“Next time I'm in New York, Mr.
Trump, I might take you to Jean Georges for lunch, and maybe we can
discuss marriage equality,” Takei proposed during an Apprentice
conference call.
“You would be the perfect guy to
teach me,” Trump answered. “You have a deal.”
During Trump's brief flirtation with a
run at the White House as a Republican, he said he was opposed to
marriage and civil unions for gay couples. Trump said he opposed gay
nuptials because he doesn't “feel good about it.”