The actor best known for "Shakespeare in Love" and "My Best Friend's Wedding" told Britain's Sunday Times Magazine that his mother has met his boyfriend but "still wishes I had a wife and kids."

"She thinks children need a father and a mother and I agree with her," he said. "I can't think of anything worse than being brought up by two gay dads."

"Some people might not agree with that. Fine! That's just my opinion," he said, adding that he doesn't consider himself part of the "gay community."

In response, GLAAD president Herndon Graddick said, "Since Everett shared his outdated opinion, gay parents, as well as their friends and families, have voiced overwhelming disappointment. Children aren't hurt when raised by caring gay parents, but they are when uninformed people in the public eye insult their families."

The Family Equality Council combated Everett's opinion with statistics, saying in a statement that "more than 30 years of scientific research shows overwhelmingly that children raised by parents who are LGBT do equally as well as their counterparts raised by heterosexual parents."

Everett, 53, angered gay rights advocates in 2009 when he said coming out in Hollywood is "not that advisable" and "just doesn't work" for actors seeking longevity in their careers.