Australian rugby player David Pocock tackles homophobia in same-sex marriage debate

Talk about a strong ally. (Not to mention hot, on numerous levels.)

Showing what a real man is, Australian rugby player David Pocock (a pox on anyone who jokes about his name, you silly lot) took on Australian Liberal MP John Alexander on the talk show Q and A.

Alexander's Liberal party opposes gay marriage, and defends the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Pocock addressed the responsibility that athletes have when using social media like Twitter, and the need for users to be accountable for homophobic, sexist, and racist comments. He also touched upon the pressing need in Australia to discuss discrimination against gay athletes and homophobia in sports. (In North America, homophobia in sports has begun to be addressed by campaigns like You Can Play and even the Vancouver Canucks' Manny Malhotra marched in this year's Vancouver Pride parade.)

But Pocock didn't stop there.

The Wallabies captain is such a staunch supporter of queer rights that he and his girlfriend Emma have refused to have a wedding ceremony until people like their gay friends are able to legally wed in Australia. He adroitly pointed out that Alexander's suggestion of having separate forms of marriage for gays and lesbians is segregating people and not the same as marriage equality.

Pocock—who proved he has both brawn and brains, not to mention integrity—certainly struck a chord with the audience, who supported many of his points in support of gay rights with applause.

Earlier this year, Australian finance minister Penny Wong, who is a lesbian, also appeared on Q and A, and faced off against Liberal MP Joe Hockey on the issue of same-sex parents.

Hockey said he wouldn't vote for marriage equality because he believes children need a mother and a father.

Although Wong, who has a female partner and a daughter, stated that Hockey's views were hurtful, she gave an articulate and dignified response.

Three Australian states—South Australia,Tasmania, and most recently, Australian Capital Territory—have pledged to legalize same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, government senators have introduced another bill (the fourth of its kind) to legalize same-sex marriage at the federal level.

You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig. You can also follow the Georgia Straight's LGBT coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/StraightLGBT.