Stunner: Sen. Rob Portman Backs Same-Sex Marriage
Sen. Rob Portman says he now supports same-sex marriage because one of his sons is gay.
The Ohio Republican informed reporters from several newspapers in his home state of his reversal, which The Columbus Dispatch calls “stunning.”
Portman told The Cincinnati Enquirer his evolution on the subject began in 2011 when his son, Will, then a freshman at Yale University, told his parents he was gay.
Portman told the Enquirer 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.
As a member of the House in 1996, Portman co-sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The Supreme Court is slated to hear arguments on a challenge to DOMA next week.
