Star Trek actor George Takei has courted controversy by branding Australia "backwards" over the government's stance on gay marriage.
The openly-gay star denounced the country's failure to legalise same-sex unions during a trip Down Under this week, singling out Prime Minister Tony Abbott for particular criticism.
He tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph, "It's rather backward, I mean you don't have marriage equality. (In the United States) it's a patchwork but we are a few steps ahead of you... I know he's (Abbott) not with us (on gay marriage), so it would involve a long conversation, although I have been able to convince people before. I'm (an) optimist. I know that Australia is going to catch up. It's a very progressive country with people that are progressive."
Takei is an outspoken advocate for gay rights and has been married to partner Brad Altman since 2008.
WENN.com
source: newshub archive
