Anti-gay US Senator changes views when son comes out

Change of heart when it's your own blood...

CINCINNATI (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio says he now supports gay marriage. This change of heart came after his 21 year old son, Will, had come out to him as a gay man.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports (cin.ci/15PONEa) that during an interview Thursday in Washington, Portman said his evolution on the subject of gay marriage began in 2011 when his son, Will, then a freshman at Yale University, told his parents he was gay.

Portman says his new views reflect "a change of heart from the position of a father" and that he first talked to his pastor and others, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is a lesbian.

Portman was a U.S. Congressman until he served in several positions in the Bush administration. After leaving the White House, he ran for U.S. Senate, succeeding George Voinovich on January 5, 2011.

As a member of the House in 1996, Portman voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

In Sept 2004, Portman voted YES on a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage, voted YES on banning gay adoptions in D.C. by individuals who are not related by blood or marriage (1999), supported an Amendment to prevent same-sex marriage (2002) and was rated at 7% by the National ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record (2010).

Portman currently has no information on his website about his stand on gay rights.

___

Above information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com.

Robin Dorner, Gayly Editor in Chief contributed to this story.

___