Brad Pitt has once again defended his and partner Angeline Jolie’s decision not to get married, despite their six children; Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox; explaining that their decision stems from their belief that all people should equal access to the institution of marriage.

“I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I’ve had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment,” the Inglorious Basterds star said in a new interview with Parade Magazine’s Sunday, August 9 edition.

Brad On Fatherhood: “Children are a dominant value in my life now, and they weren’t before,” he says. “They were always something I thought I’d get around to having when the time was right. It wasn’t what I was really seeking. In a way, I think I had to go and exhaust me before I could be good at being a parent. This family is full of life! There are laughs, aggravations, irritations, but at the end of the day, it’s fun. When life is really good, it’s messy.”

Brad On The Criticism He Draws For Not Marrying Angelina: “I resent people telling others how to live! It drives me mental! Just the other night, I heard this TV reverend say that Angie and I were setting a bad example because we were living out of wedlock, and people should not be duped by us,” Brad says. “It made me laugh. What damn right does anyone have to tell someone else how to live if they’re not hurting anyone? How many times do you think real love comes to someone in a lifetime? If you’re lucky, maybe two or three.”

Brad On Homosexuality: “Would it bother me if a child of mine turns out to be gay? No, not one bit. Listen, I want my kids to live the lives they want to live. I want them to be fulfilled. I hope I teach my kids to be who they really are.”

Brad On Smoking Marijuana In His Youth: “I liked to smoke a bit of grass at the time, and I became very sheltered. Then I got bored. I was turning into a damn doughnut, really. So I moved as far away from that as I could. I was done,” he adds. “In Missouri, where I come from, we don’t talk about what we do — we just do it. If we talk about it, it’s seen as bragging.”