Australia's Labor leader Kevin Rudd - the front runner in the up-coming Australian elections - agreed to answer a question about who he would turn gay for on TV's Rove Live last week. After knocking back suggestions put to him, including those from Dame Edna and Kel from Kath and Kim, Rudd appeared to confess the only person he would turn gay for was his wife Therese. According to news.co.au, Rudd's staff admitted he hadn't delivered the answer as well as he had planned to, even though he knew it would be coming. The opposition Leader was meant to have said, "Not for anyone, because of my wife Therese." During the programme, Rudd admitted to being a "nerd" and also said he could beat current Prime Minister John Howard in a bar fight. Rudd has come under attack from gay activists and the Green party for rejecting same-sex marriage. During several recent interviews he has stood by his party line that marriage is between a man and woman, but admitted it was not a popular view in some circles. Earlier this month, Prime Minister John Howard was asked by a shop worker in a mall in New South Wales "Who would you turn gay for?" The PM laughed off the question, but his consistent refusal to grant equal rights for gay and lesbian Australians has been less easy to avoid. He has been accused of pandering to homophobia to win votes, and despite opinion polls showing 71% of Australians favouring equal rights for gay people, he is still opposed. In 2004 he passed federal legislation banning same-sex marriage and earlier this year said that HIV positive immigrants should not be allowed into the country. Australia's general election will take place on 24th November.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 21st November 2007 - 9:47am