The fact that, for so many generations, ordinary, everyday Americans came out of the closet and told their family and friends about who they are has laid the foundation for public sentiment to change. They got comfortable in their own skins to be able to share themselves with family and friends. This is where social change took place. Mark Takano Read Quote
I think most polling shows that most Americans agree that when it comes to employment that, you know, people should be really judged by, you know, their competency and not, you know, who it is they choose to love or who they’re in a relationship with. Mark Takano Read Quote
I hope that by just being a competent member and expressing informed views on issues that aren’t related to issues of LGBT equality, Republicans see me as a general asset. Mark Takano Read Quote
I taught high school English for 24 years. I always teach my students to appreciate the beauty of language and to write poetically. Mark Takano Read Quote
When I first ran for Congress in the 1990s, my background as an openly gay Asian was one of the focal points of the campaign, and, in fact, my opponent attacked me for it. Mark Takano Read Quote
I think it is important for someone like me to not run away from who I am but embrace it. LGBT people across the country need to know they have a friend in Congress. Mark Takano Read Quote
You can’t not be changed by the experience of seeing extreme poverty. You start to want to think about ways in which you can make the world better. Mark Takano Read Quote
As someone who is both an ethnic minority and openly gay, I often talk about how simply being who I am has given me a double awareness of the vulnerability that some Americans may be facing. Mark Takano Read Quote
Every member of Congress is sent to Washington to represent all of their constituents, regardless of their age, race, social standing, or sexual orientation, and I believe that America should be a place where everybody can dream, and nobody is left out. Mark Takano Read Quote
Interracial marriages were basically legalized, but nevertheless, there was a social stigma attached to them for a long time to come. I imagine that’s going to be true for same-sex marriages – that people’s emotional comfort level with it will not fully materialize for decades. Mark Takano Read Quote
