George Takei named honorary chair of Banned Books Week 2025, continuing the fight against censorship.
George Takei has never shied away from speaking out for justice, and at 88, he’s taking his lifelong advocacy to a new frontier — the right to read.
The Star Trek icon and activist has just been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week 2025 (Oct 5–11), a nationwide event led by the American Library Association.
Libraries and bookstores across the U.S. will spotlight works that have faced censorship, from Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer to Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.
“I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up,” Takei said, recalling his childhood in a Japanese internment camp and later years navigating life as a closeted gay man. “Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”
Takei joins a lineage of cultural heavyweights who’ve fronted the campaign, including Ava DuVernay, LeVar Burton and Jason Reynolds.
He’ll also be joined by this year’s honorary youth chair, UC Santa Cruz student and activist Iris Mogul.
For Takei, it’s not just about protecting stories — it’s about making sure everyone can find their own reflected back at them.
