Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio is now supporting gay marriage and says his reversal on the issue began when he learned one of his sons is gay.
“I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married,” wrote in an op-ed published March 15 in The Columbus Dispatch.
Portman last year was on the short list to be the Republican vice presidential candidate.
Portman’s son, Will, tweeted that he’s “Especially proud of my dad today” alongside a link to the op-ed that states his father’s reversal to supporting marriage equality. Will is 21.
“As a congressman, and more recently as a senator, I opposed marriage for same-sex couples. Then something happened that led me to think through my position in a much deeper way,” wrote Portman in the op-ed.
