A prominent US politician has lashed Australia's stance on gay rights as "increasingly" behind the rest of the developed world as Sydney prepares to celebrate the gay and lesbian Mardis Gras on Saturday.  
Barney Frank,who was a US congressman for 30 years and is a long-time campaigner for same-sex rights, also described Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's support for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage as laughable. 
More than 20 countries allow same-sex marriage, including Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa. Mr Frank married his partner Jim Ready in 2012. 
Mr Frank said "increasingly" Australia's stance on same-sex rights was "behind much of the developed world". 
"The notion that people should be denied certain rights because of their sexuality that [in] no way effects others, you are behind," he said in a podcast recorded last month with Labor-aligned think tank, the McKell??? Institute
Mr Frank told interviewers Labor senator Sam Dastyari???and McKell Institute executive director Sam Crosby that Mr Turnbull's position on same-sex marriage was "discouraging to me". 
While Mr Turnbull argued against a plebiscite before he took over the Prime Ministership, he has not changed the Coalition's policy as leader. 
"Your Prime Minister ... having said he was for same-sex marriage and encountering political resistance, decided the best way to deal with that was to do what we in America call, 'ducking the issue', ... meaning that 'I don't want to make a tough choice'," the former congressman said. 
"I think if he were to say that with regard to race, with how you would treat Indigenous people, with how you would treat women, he would be laughed at, he would be hooted at. 
"What do you that mean it's up to a vote to decide whether we should have racial equality?"
His comments come amid increasingly heated debate about same-sex marriage and LGBTI issues in Australia. 
Earlier this week, Fairfax Media reported leaked pamphlets, due to feature in an upcoming campaign against same-sex marriage, suggest children of gay and lesbian parents are more likely to be abused and neglected.
It also comes as the government conducts a review of LGBTI anti-bullying program, Safe Schools, amid concerns from conservative MPs and the Australian Christian Lobby it is inappropriate for young people. 
Some critics have suggested the program "promotes a fluid gender ideology". 
Mr Frank described the claim as an "odd notion". 
"It's very hard for adults to teach the average 13-year-old to cross the street," he said.
"The notion that they're suddenly gong to decide to adopt an alternative sexuality because some adult authority figure said that they should, is just stupid."
This weekend Sydney will celebrate is annual Mardis Gras. Labor leader Bill Shorten has said he will attend. While the parade passes through Mr Turnbull's electorate and he regularly attends, the Prime Minister hasn't confirmed his plans for Saturday night.
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