>>> WE ARE NEARING THE END OF
JUNE.
WHICH MEANS, THE END OF PRIDE
MONTH.
PRIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR
LGBTQ-PLUS FRIENDS TO COME
TOGETHER, AND CELEBRATE THOSE,
WHO FOUGHT, AND CONTINUE TO
FIGHT FOR EQUALITY AND
ACCEPTANCE.
TODAY, THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST
LADY WELCOMED ADVOCATES, FAITH
LEADERS, AND POLITICIANS TO THE
EAST ROOM.
WHO BETTER TO KICK OFF THE
SHINDIG THAN TRANSPORTATION
SECRETARY, PETE BUTTIGIEG?
>> THOSE YOUTH, WHO WONDER
WHETHER THEY BELONG.
AND ESPECIALLY, TO THOSE, FOR
WHOM DOUBT OR FEAR OR DANGER
MEAN YOU STILL CANT LIVE FULLY
AS YOUR TRUE SELF.
KNOW THAT A WHOLE LOT OF US HAVE
YOUR BACK, STARTING AT THE TOP.
AND YES, HAPPY PRIDE.
>> PRIDE MONTH REPRESENTS SO
MUCH.
IT STANDS FOR COURAGE.
THE COURAGE OF ALL THOSE, IN
PREVIOUS GENERATIONS AND TODAY
WHO, PROUDLY, LIVE THEIR TRUTH.
IT STANDS FOR JUSTICE.
BOTH, THE STEPS WEVE TAKEN, AND
THE STEPDS WE NEED TO TAKE.
AND ABOVE ALL, PRIDE MONTH
STANDS FOR LOVE.
>> EARLIER, PRESIDENT BIDEN
DESIGNATED THE SITE OF THE PULSE
NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING IN FLORIDA AS
A NATIONAL MEMORIAL.
AND JOINING ME NOW IS GEORGE
TAKEI, ACTOR, AUTHOR, AND
ACTIVIST.
AND IT IS ALWAYS GREAT TO TALK
TO YOU, GEORGE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU GAVE ME ONE EARLIER.
LETS TALK ABOUT THIS.
SO, MY GOOD FRIEND, BRANDON
WOLF, WHO SURVIVED THE PULSE
SHOOTING WAS THERE.
HE TWEETED ABOUT BEING IN THE
EAST ROOM FOR THIS PULSE
NIGHTCLUB DESIGNATION.
TALKING ABOUT THE 49 OF HIS
FRIENDS WHO WILL NEVER BE
FORGOTTEN.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHAT -- WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF -- OF CREATING THAT MEMORIAL WILL BE?
CREATING THAT MEMORIAL WILL BE?
>> IT IS PROFOUND, BECAUSE IT
CAPSULIZES ALL OF THE STRUGGLE
AND THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA
AND ALL THAT WEVE HAD TO GO
THROUGH, TO GET TO THE POINT
WHERE WE ARE, NOW.
AND TO MEMORIALIZE THOSE PLACES
IS AN IMPORTANT -- TO MAKE IT A
LANDMARK -- IS AN IMPORTANT ACT.
AND ANOTHER, IMPORTANT, LANDMARK
EVENT WAS THE CLIP THAT YOU
SHOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I MEAN, PETE BUTTIGIEG, THE
FIRST EMINENTLY CREDIBLE
CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF
THE UNITED STATES.
AND NOW, ON THE PRESIDENTS
CABINET AS THE SECRETARY OF
TRANSPORTATION.
AND TO HAVE JOE BIDEN, HIMSELF,
THERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
WE ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
AND IT IS, CERTAINLY, A MONTH OF
PRIDE AND CELEBRATION.
>> SO, WE WERE -- WE WERE -- WE
WERE, LIKE, FURIOUSLY WRITING.
WE WERE LIKE LETS THINK OF ALL
THE LIKE GOOD THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE
THAT WENT WELL.
AND YOU MENTIONED PETE
BUTTIGIEG, WHO MADE HISTORY.
ALSO, MY GIRL, KARINE
JEAN-PIERRE, WHO WAS THE FIRST
LGBTQ PERSON TO TAKE THE PODIUM
AND DO, AS A WHITE HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY, SHE IS THE
DEPUTY-PRESS SECRETARY.
YOU HAVE HAD AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
IN JANUARY, SIGNED BY THE
PRESIDENT, BANNING
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON GENDER
IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
A RECORD NUMBER OF LGBTQ PEOPLE
IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND, OF COURSE, NFL PLAYER, CARL
NASSIB, FOR FOOTBALL FANS, WHO
PLAYS FOR THE RAIDERS.
WHO THEY SHOULD BE IN OAKLAND
BUT, WHATEVER, THEY IN VEGAS
NOW.
I MEAN, THERE IS A LOT THAT IS
GOOD.
BUT THERE ARE, STILL,
CHALLENGES, GEORGE.
I MEAN, WE ARE SEEING TRANS KIDS
JUST BEATEN ABOUT, RIGHT?
>> THERE ARE OTHER POSITIVES
THAT WE MUSTNT FORGET.
I MEAN, THE MAYOR OF CHICAGO,
LORI LIGHTFOOT.
SHES GOT A TOUGH JOB AND SHE IS
A STRONG WOMAN WHO CAN HANDLE
IT.
>> YEAH.
BUT THE THINGS WE SORT OF STILL
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
I MEAN, TRANS CHILDREN ARE
REALLY BEING PLACED IN A
HORRIBLE POSITION.
BLACK-TRANS WOMEN HAVE BEEN
KILLED AT RECORD NUMBERS.
WE ARE SEEING THE
TRANS COMMUNITY REALLY ZEROED IN
ON, IN A WAY, POLITICALLY, TO
MAKE THEM SORT OF AN INDEPENDENT
VILLAIN.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE SUPPORTIVE,
DO YOU THINK, AS WE ARE SO
CELEBRATORY OF WHATS HAPPENING
FOR THE LGB PART AND FOR THE T?
>> AND ITS PART OF THE WHOLE
STRUGGLE AND THE STRUGGLE IS,
PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH NOW,
AGAINST THE TRANSGENDER
COMMUNITY.
IN FLORIDA, JUST THIS MONTH,
THEY BANNED PARTICIPATION IN
GIRLS ATHLETICS BY TRANSGENDER
WOMEN.
SAME THING HAPPENED LAST MONTH
OR A FEW MONTHS AGO IN ARKANSAS
WHERE OUR FAMILY WAS IN PRISON
DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND
I HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN ARKANSAS
AND I LOVE ARKANSAS AND LITTLE
ROCK.
BUT ITS, STILL, ONE OF THOSE
AREAS WHERE WE HAVE OUR BATTLES
TO FIGHT.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW,
INTERSECTIONALITY IS SO
IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE
ARE ALL GETTING TO KNOW WHO
KIMBERLY CRENSHAW IS, AT LEAST
SOME FOLKS ARE.
SHE COINED THAT TERM.
AND FOR YOU, WHOS A PERSON OF
COLOR, WHOS, ALSO, YOU KNOW, A
GAY MAN.
CAN YOU TALK, A LITTLE BIT,
ABOUT HOW THE CHALLENGES REMAIN,
IF THEY REMAIN IN YOUR VIEW, FOR
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING OUT IN
CULTURES WHERE IT MIGHT BE MORE
DIFFICULT THAN IT IS, YOU KNOW,
HERE.
JUST OR IN FAMILIES THAT ARE
MORE CONSERVATIVE.
LIKE, WHAT IS THAT, SORT OF,
DINKDS
DIFFERENTIATION, DO YOU THINK?
>> EXACTLY.
I MEAN, FAMILIES OF COLOR ARE NO
DIFFERENT THAN THE LARGER
COMMUNITIES OF FAMILIES.
WE HAVE PROGRESSIVE OR
CONSERVATIVE FAMILIES AND ITS
STILL A LONG -- A SERIOUS
PROBLEM.
AND ESPECIALLY, FOR ME, AS AN
ACTOR.
MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE WAS SPENT
IN THE CLOSET.
I WAS 68, WHEN I CAME OUT,
BECAUSE OF -- I WAS TIRED OF
GRITTING MY TEETH.
AND SWALLOWING THE UGLY TASTE.
IN CALIFORNIA, BACK IN 2005,
WHEN I, FIRST, CAME OUT.
A LANDMARK EVENT HAPPENED.
THE LEGISLATURE OF CALIFORNIA,
BOTH HOUSES, SENATE AND THE
ASSEMBLY, PASSED THE
MARRIAGE-EQUALITY BILL.
ONLY-ONE STATE, AT THAT TIME,
HAD MARRIAGE EQUALITY.
THAT WAS MASSACHUSETTS.
AND THEY GOT IT THROUGH THE
STATE SUPREME COURT.
WE DID IT WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
THE PEOPLE -- PEOPLES
REPRESENTATIVE.
BUT THAT BILL NEEDED ONE MORE
SIGNATURE.
THAT OF THE GOVERNOR.
AND THE GOVERNOR, AT THAT TIME,
HAPPENED TO BE ARNOLD
SCHWARZENEGGER, WHO CAMPAIGNED
FOR THE -- THE GOVERNORS OFFICE
BY TOUTING THE FACT THAT HES
FROM HOLLYWOOD.
HES WORKED WITH GAYS AND
LESBIANS.
AND --
>> YEAH.
>> -- AND, YET, DESPITE THAT
CAMPAIGN, WHEN THE BILL LANDED
ON HIS DESK, HE VETOED IT.
>> YEAH.