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The actor , famed for playing Star Trek's Mr Sulu (and, more recently, Kaito Nakamura in the hit series Heroes) Brad Altman, his partner of 21 years. The couple's announcement comes days after California's ruled that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional -- an historic victory for . (Read the relevant case documents online ).

The state of Massachusetts already allows same-sex marriage, and a number of other states, including California, have introduced legislation to allow gay couples to register as civil partners. The California Supreme Court decision means that same-sex marriage will now be possible in two of the 50 states in the union.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton responded last week to the California decision -- with practically the same comment: "Barack Obama [insert Hillary Clinton] has always believed that same-sex couples should enjoy equal rights under the law, and he will continue to fight for civil unions as President. He respects the decision of the California Supreme Court, and continues to believe that states should make their own decisions when it comes to the issue of marriage."

We wait to see how John McCain will seek to capitalise on the California case in his bid for the presidency. He has previously spoken out against "activist judges"; and, on the face of it, this is precisely the kind of scenario that might well enrage him, since the seven judges of the California Supreme Court (in a 4-3 decision) have voted to overturn a ban on gay marriage that was approved by 61 percent of California voters. Judges would have me point out that they are not pollsters: their job is not to assess public opinion, but to interpret the law accurately and fairly.

California's summed up the basic moral commitment underlying his court's decision: "An individual's sexual orientation - like a person's race or gender - does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold rights." Are those the words of an "activist judge"?

I wonder what the man who appointed the Chief Justice to the bench would think: Ronald Reagan.