Keegan Allen is a huge supporter of the LGBTQI community. He’s famed for playing Toby Cavanaugh on ‘Pretty Little Liars‘ (which has a strong LGBTQI following for it’s openly gay character and transgender storyline) as well as Harlow Cuadra on James Franco‘s ‘King Cobra‘ (a biographical crime drama based on the gay porn industry).
So when PEDESTRIAN.TV told him that same-sex marriage still isn’t legal in Australia ahead of his visit for Oz Comic-Con Melbourne this weekend, he was pretty shook.
“Oh, I didn’t know about that. I had NO IDEA about that,” he said.
“Well then, me coming over there wouldn’t be the best for the conservative side of Australia because I come from a country where same-sex marriage is legal and it works way better. My view on it is, love is for everybody and nobody should be told how and who they love.”
Allen called out the news to his 2 million Instagram followers following the interviews and fuck, our backwards / oppressive laws are downright embarrassing.
Wait…Australia doesn’t have same sex marriage yet? It’s 2017…why can’t people just love who they want? Gov being petty? Cuz ???? ?? ??????
— Keegan Allen (@KeeganAllen) June 23, 2017
PEDESTRIAN.TV assured him that the laws here are not indicative of where the wider Australian population stands on the matter. Allen replied:
“I cannot believe that like, geriatric men and women that run government have say in the general population of how you feel on the inside about somebody, and that they’re allowed to dictate who we love and how we choose to love them.“That’s unbelievably unfair and I would never stand with anything like that. So, I definitely stand with the progressive side of Australia when I say I very much believe in same-sex marriage and I come from a country that very much supports same sex marriage.“Unfortunately right now we’re in another very difficult situation with the way that the country is right now with the president – but we look to the future and I stand with the people of Australia who are on the progressive side.“
Hey @TurnbullMalcolm , love your country but a lot of Aussies are telling me you aren’t for same sex marriage. Is that a personal thing?
— Keegan Allen (@KeeganAllen) June 23, 2017
While Allen told us that he is straight, there are people close to him that who are elsewhere on the spectrum that is sexuality. In the Franco-produced ‘King Cobra‘ – a story based on the early career of porn star Brent Corrigan – Allen played the role of a gay producer in the adult film industry.
“People always ask me what it was like playing a character who was gay when you’re not gay – it would be the same as a gay guy playing a straight character. You’re just playing a character, playing a life and telling stories.“
There are intimate scenes in the film – including one where he gives Franco’s character, Joseph Cerekes, a gobby by the pool – which he admits was kinda “weird” given he’s been mates with Franco for almost a decade.
“It’s a little weird, obviously. When we first got through that thing where it was like, we’re going to be in this movie together and we’re going to be lovers in it he was like, ‘Dude, let’s just do it. Let’s just have fun – who cares.’“I felt safe with Justin Kelly who was the director – it’s like the same thing when I’m with Troian [Bellisario] on PLL – I feel safe and secure and she very much is my friend and she’s married. I went to her wedding. I know her husband really well and it does feel like the same thing. It does sometimes feel weird because you’re friends but at the same time i’ts acting – there’s an enjoyment to that because I love acting.“
Allen will be at Oz Comic-Con Melbourne on the 1-2 July and tickets are available HERE.
Photo: Getty / Byron Cohen.
