Katter's gay sibling hits back at Bob

BOB Katter's half-brother has outed himself as gay on national television, to hit out at the independent MP for deriding homosexuals.

Carl Katter / Channel 10

BOB Katter's half-brother has outed himself as gay on national television, to hit out at the outspoken independent MP for deriding homosexuals.

Carl Katter, who bears a striking resemblance to his famous but largely estranged sibling, last night told the Ten Network's George Negus that he couldn't "just sit back" and allow Mr Katter to denigrate gay people and the campaign for same-sex marriage.

"It's hurtful, it's dangerous, it's damaging and it's really inappropriate," Carl Katter said when asked about Mr Katter's claims to a rally last week that gay marriage was laughable.

Carl Katter said he would love to have the option to marry as a gay man. Carl Katter is the son of Bob Katter's father and predecessor as federal MP for the north Queensland seat of Kennedy, the late "Big Bob" Katter, and his second wife, Joy.

The split between the two branches of the family was underlined when she threw in her lot with a National Party candidate in Kennedy to campaign against Bob Katter at the 2004 federal election.