Grindr gay dating app founder Joel Simkhai is in Sydney for his first Mardi Gras and has a message for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on same-sex marriage.
"Absolutely, Australia is behind the times," the American said. 
"We [the United States] passed marriage equality and guess what? The world didn't change. For those who didn't support it, their lives were not affected. Their children were fine and their lives were not adversely affected, so I encourage all Australians to support equality."
With a plebiscite on same-sex marriage expected after the next federal election, the multimillionaire spoke out, in between checking Grindr on his phone, just hours after flying in from Hong Kong.
"Mardi Gras is a celebration of life, a celebration of love and I encourage the Prime Minister, the government and all Australians to support equality and love," he said.
He also agreed with the comments of former US congressman and gay rights campaigner Barney Frank, who Fairfax Media reported on Friday had lashed Australia as "increasingly" behind the rest of the developed world on the issue. Mr Frank described Mr Turnbull's support for a plebiscite as laughable.
Mr Simkhai said Grindr, which allows gay men to meet others in the same locality and has 4 million users daily worldwide, was continuing to evolve. It recently streamed a red-carpet fashion show for a menswear designer, just a taste of what is to come, he said.
In   January, gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech paid $98 million for a 60 per cent controlling stake in Grindr.
"We don't expect them to make any major changes in how we operate," he said. "We now have the support from a company that has millions and millions of users around the world and a very strong presence in China and the rest of Asia."
Perhaps ironically for a matchmaker, he is single.
"I am quite excited that I now have the option to get married in the States. I would like to have kids one day. The one thing I have learnt is that you can't predict the future," he said.
Mr Simkhai said he had been using the app since landing in Sydney.
"I have run into some friends online. There are a lot of tourists here for Mardi Gras," he said.