Portia de Rossi Takes on Australian PM

Australian expat Portia de Rossi is disappointed that Prime Minister Julia Gillard is blocking the push toward marriage equality in her native country.

The wife of Ellen DeGeneres, who legally took her wife's last name in September but still goes by de Rossi professionally, said she was "disappointed" in Gillard, reported the Melbourne Herald Sun.

"I always thought Australia would pass this equal rights law long before America would," she said. "I'm a little bit disappointed with the new prime minister. I'm hoping that Australia will be a leader on this."

On Wednesday a Greens motion urging parliament members to talk to their constituents passed the House of Representatives with help from Gillard's minority Labor government. But Gillard said Labor MPs would not be free to vote their conscience on a marriage equality bill. She has agreed to bring her party's national conference forward to allow the party to determine a position on marriage before the next election, but she has not promised to be bound by the decision.