A once strong advocate against gay marriage is now revaluating
the issue "from a new perspective". He announced his new stance on
the issue Thursday and even revealed a personal reason as to what made him
change his mind. His son, Will, came out to his parents during his freshman
year at Yale University and told them that “he was gay and it was not a
choice". Portman was also on the list to be Mitt Romney's running mate
last year. He said that when he informed Romney during the selection process
that he had a gay son, that the issue was not a deal breaker for Romney. This
revelation made the Senator feel torn but he later gained comfort after finding
support from Mitt Romney and former Vice President Dick Cheney (who has a gay
daughter). Cheney's advice to Senator Portman was simple and precise
"follow your heart" which Senator Portman did. Senator Portman
described this time as difficult but he learned to accept his son's preference
because after all, he will always love him so he felt it was only right to
support him. He wants his son to gain the same benefits as his siblings and as
the rest of the straight population in our nation which is why he is now
putting forth his efforts to fight for gay rights. His announcement was clearly
strategic because of its timely manner. His announcement is just a week before
the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments on the Defense of Marriage
Act, which disallows federal recognition of same-sex marriage, an issue that
Partman once co-sponsored as a member of the House in 1996. This is certainly a
drastic change of heart and one that no one expected from Senator Portman. My
only response to this is that everything happens for a reason, and this just
might help advocate the fight for gay rights.
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