Posted on 03/15/2013 5:04:58 AM PDT by Pinkbell
A respected Republican senator has announced he is reversing his stance against gay marriage after his 21-year-old son came out to him and his wife.
Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican considered as a running mate by the Romney campaign, said the discovery that his son Will, 21, was gay had given him a 'new perspective' and understanding of why equal opportunities matter.
Will, a junior at Yale University, came out to his politician father and mother, Jane, two years ago, The Plain Dealer reports.
Portman, who backed the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, says since his son's announcement he has been reconsidering his views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
He said he had spent some time speaking to his church in Cincinnati and former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is gay.
Today he wanted to officially and publicly reverse his political position on the issue.
'It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that's of a Dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have -- to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years,' Portman told the local paper.
'The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly the Golden Rule, and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue.'
He added that he believed opening marriage up to homosexual couples 'strengthens the institution' and he realized his son's sexuality 'wasn't a choice'.
He said his son had not exerted any influence on him politically but supported his new position and 'encouraged' him.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
In this day and age the Prodigal Son returns not in repentance but in sin.
This is why he decided not to throw his hat in the primary ring last year.
This deal of “coming out” that has become so popular with these kids in the past few years is, I think, suspect. In this area, at one of the high schools, the kids suddenly started “coming out” in droves, embracing and kissing in the hallways, having “sex” in the bathroom stalls (how romantic!) I expect some kids are in the future going to be embarrassed at their recent behavior; because even logical statistical numbers would have precluded there being that huge a number of “gay” kids in any one given place at one time. A fad.
So he’s just another hypocrite?
It’s always the ones with homosexuals in the family that support counterfeit marriage.
So if he caught he effing the family dog would he drop his opposition to beastiality?
Even Bart Stupak didn’t change his conservative (for a democrat) position on guns when his son killed himself.
Holding Office has become only a place to sit while buying votes to KEEP that Office.
He can’t be very solid on much of anything if he can’t reason his way through things like this with greater clarity than he has exhibited.
This inability to think things through is characteristic of the majority of the population today. They will blindly follow the Demagogue into totalitarianism.
Principe=Principle. (More coffee needed here)
The reason people are sick of the GOP is because they have no moral compass.
They have no convictions. They are not trustworthy.
Had he not thought of the parents of gay children, before he made a stand?
In what , was his opinion of gay marriage based, in the first place?
More “good for me, but not for thee”.
I swear these people are in on some giant conspiracy to destroy America. The dam is breaking and there is no stopping it.
The media will now celebrate him as a hero, and that will only reaffirm his position.
In what , was his opinion of gay marriage based, in the first place? More “good for me, but not for thee”.
Exactly.
This is insane!
It’s like saying I’ve changed my position on cancer since I found out my brother has it.
Damn it when will people wake up!
He needs to say “son, I love you and always will, but I will not approve of activity that God Almighty has condemned.”
:: He is a lying certified disciple of Saran! ::
Looks like another malaprop headed for history at FR!
It’s called “GUG”: Gay Until Graduation.
What is Portman’s voting record? His conservative grade?
He may be expressing his personal conversion, but won’t do harm on the senate floor.
/not defending this guy
Just sent another email to the Republican Senator comm.
RNC and my home state party.
These scumbags deserve to hear from all of you!
You still did the right thing in voting for Portman over the Democrat in the general but you hit the nail on the head about how Portman is wrong in changing his mind about gay “marriage”. Real marriage was defined by God and there is nothing we can do to change it. All the rest is just pretending.
I guess we now know why he didn’t get the nod for Veep.
this is the result of recruiting.
Portman should resign if he finds this personal situation compromises his principles so easily.
He should have kicked his son out.
If you jump off an eighty foot cliff, the rocks aren't going care what you believe about gravity.
or he always did and this “comming out” story is cover for being caught in a political damaging way.
Portman is finished.
If Portmans son announced an inclination towards young children or animals, would Portman change his views on those morals as well to make his son happy?
His son needs professional help.
“The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible”.......
and yet always miss the part about “Go and sin no more”
This is similar to the stupid-assed statement
“a loving God wouldn’t condemn anyone to hell”.
Sounds good for someone thinking on the level of a three year old.
But logic refutes this in about 4 seconds with a half dozen refuting statements.
He should listen to gay people who finally discover they are AGAINST gay marriage.
Like this story: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/kids-need-a-mom-and-dad-says-openly-gay-adoptive-parent
you don’t need religion to know this is just wrong.
Portman can no longer be trusted.
i am betting this comming out is a fake. Portman knew and this capitulation is blackmail avoidance of some kind.
His son is not a part of society.
Portman should have just cut the hedonist adult off, no money, no school, no roof, no car etc. Just goodby and never call.
BINGO!! i KNEW it!!!! IDIOCY!!!!
Senator Portman is a major disappointment.
I’ve no doubt this was staged so he can get into the pockets of the pro-gay campaign contributors and prepare himself for a run at either the presidency or vice-presidency.
He is betting that the GOP-E will retain control of the GOP.
Considering that Romney accomplished 2 things other than running a campaign against Barack Obama, it is notable to review his two accomplishments:
1. He savaged conservative opponents with less money
2. He gained the right to control the convention AT WHICH he changed the delegate and other rules to maintain the power of the GOP-E for the foreseeable future.
IOW, Portman has read the tea leaves and thinks they are all coming up pink.
religion only based opposition can’t be supported before the law.
logic and reason dictates the opposition to the law.
Portman should have grown a pair and told the son he was wrong and guided him to treatment or shunning. his choice.
no compromise.
Portman just demonstrats he is part of the old, crusty, and moss grown DC. He should resign.
Basically it’s ONLY those with HOMOS in their families that support this crap! Satan is VERY happy.
So, would he become pro-drug use if his son had come out as a heroin addict? Pro-polygamy if his son had revealed that he wanted to marry three wives?
Portman was blackmailed?
Nope. He was my congressman from this overwhelmingly conservative Ohio 2nd district.
He caved.
What is that smell of sulfur? It is the Saran wrap as it is the devil!
how much money is involved?
Going by his claim that his son is gay, I don’t believe he needs to cut him off. He can still love his son and be in life, but he doesn’t have to agree with his lifestyle or support redefining marriage. If it was my child (I have no children), I’d still love my child and be there for him/her, I just wouldn’t support his/her lifestyle because it goes against my faith (Catholic).
I voted for Portman thinking he supported traditional marriage, so this is disappointing to me.
The article quotes Portman:
'The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly the Golden Rule, and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue.'He announced this as a biblical and a political conviction. The article states further that this took place TWO YEARS AGO, at which time he secretly discussed the issue with other elite Republicans - while withholding it from the public/voters.He added that he believed opening marriage up to homosexual couples 'strengthens the institution' and he realized his son's sexuality 'wasn't a choice'.
It was during that 2-years of concealment that he and the elite Republicans sought to sneak him in as the GOP Presidential candidate!
Portmann is dead to me. He is nothing but a 5th columnist within the GOP.
if the son is recalcetrant, he should be treated as if he has just died and shunned from the family.
Portman would have had to “man up” for that.
This is 100% digusting for portman to capitulate to emotional blackmail at the least. Or he knew he was going to capitulate all along at the worst.
There is no logical reason for portman to stay. He should resign.
Sounds like he "evolved" on the issue. Actually, sounds more like he saw polling data in Ohio that said homo "marriage" is all the rage.
Excellent point! If you don’t mind, I am going to steal that line.
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