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# Gay Activist Humor
Answer Tennessee's Don't Say Gay Bill With "It's OK to be Takei"

By Katie Cordrey | Published 2011-05-22 | Pop Culture
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ok-to-be-takei
References: [itsoktobetakei](http://www.itsoktobetakei.com/) & [thefilmexperience.net](http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2011/5/20/its-ok-to-be-takei.html)

The famous gay actor and activist who made the Star Trek character of Mr. Sulu come to life has a special message for those who have made it illegal to talk about homosexuality in Tennessee's schools: He says to tell them, "It's OK to be Takei."

With [good-natured wit and humor](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/thoughts-prayers-toilet-paper), Takei takes on the recently passed legislation and encourages everyone to use his name instead of the word gay. He reasons that "Takei" sounds like "gay" and since he is gay, why not word-swap and circumvent the gay-word ban?

The activist's charitable website is selling "It's OK to be Takei" merchandise (that [rainbow Trekkie logo](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sogay) *is* pretty awesome), and the [YouTube](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beechers-handmade-cheese) video explaining the word workaround is taking off. By the time Tennessee enacts its law in 2012, perhaps everyone will be saying, "It's OK to be Takei!"

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 2.0/10
- Popularity: 31% | Activity: 20% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial
- Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Humor](https://www.trendhunter.com/humor)

## Key Themes

### What's Driving This Trend

- **Humorous Activism:** Businesses can partner with humorous activists to support a cause while injecting humor into campaigns or products.
- **Word Play Marketing:** Opportunities exist for brands or organizations to creatively use word play for marketing or communication strategies.
- **Celebrity Advocacy:** Celebrities can leverage their star power and personal experiences to promote social causes or products with a clear purpose.

### Who This Affects Most

- **Non-profit:** Non-profit organizations can collaborate with humorous activists to raise awareness of important social issues in a fun and engaging way.
- **Entertainment:** The entertainment industry can tap into humorous activism to engage audiences and create buzz for upcoming projects or events.
- **Fashion:** Fashion brands can create merchandise with witty slogans or puns to attract customers who value humor and social causes.

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