Sen. Rob Portman changes stance on gay marriage 2 years after son says he's gay

[NFS4]

Guess it must have felt awkward voting against legislation supporting gay marriage after your son has already "come out" to you. Either way, I commend the guy for taking his stance, even if he waited until after an election year to do so...

"I'm announcing today a change of heart on an issue that a lot of people feel strongly about that has to do with gay couples' opportunity to marry," Portman told CNN.

It has to do with another revelation, one deeply personal. His 21-year-old son, Will, is gay.

"I've come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy and stability of marriage that I've had for over 26 years. That I want all of my children to have, including our son, who is gay," said Portman.

Will Portman told his father and mother he is gay two years ago, when he was a freshman at Yale University.

"My son came to Jane, my wife, and I, told us that he was gay, and that it was not a choice, and that it's just part of who he is, and that's who he'd been that way for as long as he could remember," said Portman.
What was the Republican senator's reaction?

"Love. Support," responded Portman.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/15/politics/portman-gay-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

 

[irishScott]

If politicians had to personally experience the effects of half the crap they legislate, the world would be a far better place.

 

[nehalem256]

I think you mean flip-flops. No wonder he supported Romney

Seems like another example of someone who doesn't understand why marriage exists.

 

[Pulsar]

If politicians had to personally experience the effects of half the crap they legislate, the world would be a far better place.

Yep. This is Hippocracy at it's finest. Gay is bad, unless it directly affects my family.

Sounds like the windmill farms. The gun debate. The abortion debate.

Everything has shades of gray, and our wonderful vote-grabbing idiots in Washington try very hard to ignore the other side to buy those votes. Until they can't.....

 

[Jimzz]

Sorry but I have even less respect for him now. He thought it was wrong till it affected him directly. Hes a hypocrite pure and simple.

 

[NFS4]

Sorry but I have even less respect for him now. He thought it was wrong till it affected him directly. Hes a hypocrite pure and simple.

To be honest, this describes many people. There are a lof of things that people don't care about/pay attention to unless it affects them directly. Not saying that it's right/wrong, it's just human nature.

 

[KB]

I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Its a shame that politicians don't have more empathy to see the pain they are causing others before it affects them, but I am glad he had a change of heart. A Saul to Paul moment for bible fans.

He would be a hyppocrite to me if he said gay marriage is ok for my kid but still not yours. He is definately a poltician though as he waited till after the election.

 

[NesuD]

You guys knocking him for changing his position are Wrong! He is a father not a hypocrite. As a father who has experienced the exact same thing I can speak to what he has experienced. He has been forced to completely reevaluate something he felt he was absolutely certain of all of his life. It is not an easy thing to hold the beliefs that we did all our lives and learn the hard way that we were wrong. He did the only thing here he could do. He put his son first and opened his mind. Cut the guy some slack. Don't demonize him for doing the right thing. Only idiots do that.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

Sorry but I have even less respect for him now. He thought it was wrong till it affected him directly. Hes a hypocrite pure and simple.

Another way to look at it is he thought he understood what the implications were until someone close to him was able to show him what reality was. That's not hypocrisy, it's growth.

 

[jackstar7]

Seems like another example of someone who doesn't understand why marriage exists.

Oh no, the misunderstanding is all yours.

 

[nehalem256]

You guys knocking him for changing his position are Wrong! He is a father not a hypocrite. As a father who has experienced the exact same thing I can speak to what he has experienced. He has been forced to completely reevaluate something he felt he was absolutely certain of all of his life. It is not an easy thing to hold the beliefs that we did all our lives and learn the hard way that we were wrong. He did the only thing here he could do. He put his son first and opened his mind. Cut the guy some slack. Don't demonize him for doing the right thing. Only idiots do that.

He didn't learn he was wrong, and he didn't do the right. What he has essentially said is that marriage is only for groups of people that I like (which now includes gays because of his son).

He has learned nothing. What we have learned is that Rob Portman doesn't, and never, believe that marriage has any real purpose.

Maybe if his other son and daughter fall in love he will come out in support of incestuous marriage too.

 

[irishScott]

He didn't learn he was wrong, and he didn't do the right. What he has essentially said is that marriage is only for groups of people that I like (which now includes gays because of his son).

He has learned nothing. What we have learned is that Rob Portman doesn't, and never, believe that marriage has any real purpose.

Maybe if his other son and daughter fall in love he will come out in support of incestuous marriage too.

And you know this... how?

 

[zsdersw]

And you know this... how?

He's just butthurt that gay marriage is, essentially, inevitable; it is only a matter of time.. and he's powerless to stop it.

 

[nehalem256]

And you know this... how?

His argument is basically I love my son therefore gay marriage should be legal.

That isn't learning anything.

What he has said is that he believe marriage is only for groups of people he likes.

 

[nehalem256]

He's just butthurt that gay marriage is, essentially, inevitable; it is only a matter of time.. and he's powerless to stop it.

And you are just butthurt because you cannot make an argument against what I said.

In fact you agree with Portman. You don't believe in marriage either.

 

[cybrsage]

He's just butthurt that gay marriage is, essentially, inevitable; it is only a matter of time.. and he's powerless to stop it.

Actually, it is his son who is butt hurt.

 

[cybrsage]

Do you all realize you guys are the reason why politicians refuse to change their position on things after learning more about the topic? He learned more about the topic, thought about it a bit, did soul searching, and changed his view. Then you guys hate him for it, even though his view now aligns with yours. He might as well have stayed with his original view, since now those who used to agree with him hate him and those who now agree with him still hate him.

You are the problem.

 

[zsdersw]

And you are just butthurt because you cannot make an argument against what I said.

Arguments against your idiocy have been made numerous times. You just refuse to accept reality and face facts.

In fact you agree with Portman. You don't believe in marriage either.

... and then you woke up.

 

[Jimzz]

Another way to look at it is he thought he understood what the implications were until someone close to him was able to show him what reality was. That's not hypocrisy, it's growth.

That’s not growth, its a cop out even trying to imply that.

He a politician who has voted anti-gay over and over that has caused pain to many families yet he ignored them. Yet when it affected HIS family he’s now ok with gays and marriage. That’s pure hypocrisy at its finest.
Growth would be him not having a gay son but now supporting gay rights due to him seeing the pain and hardship it has caused others. That is not the case here.

 

[thraashman]

Do you all realize you guys are the reason why politicians refuse to change their position on things after learning more about the topic? He learned more about the topic, thought about it a bit, did soul searching, and changed his view. Then you guys hate him for it, even though his view now aligns with yours. He might as well have stayed with his original view, since now those who used to agree with him hate him and those who now agree with him still hate him.

You are the problem.

Dammit people. Look what you've done. You've gone and made me have to agree with cybrsage.

 

[irishScott]

His argument is basically I love my son therefore gay marriage should be legal.

That isn't learning anything.

What he has said is that he believe marriage is only for groups of people he likes.

Or he had a serious talk with his son and it legitimately changed his opinions. You don't know that didn't happen, and you're jumping to completely unsupported conclusions that it didn't.

 

[irishScott]

That’s not growth, its a cop out even trying to imply that.

He a politician who has voted anti-gay over and over that has caused pain to many families yet he ignored them. Yet when it affected HIS family he’s now ok with gays and marriage. That’s pure hypocrisy at its finest.
Growth would be him not having a gay son but now supporting gay rights due to him seeing the pain and hardship it has caused others. That is not the case here.

Oh, so to have growth he'd have to be in a situation that doesn't exist. Gee, how generous of you.

People make mistakes, people hold stupid views, and often stubbornly cling to them until life teaches them the hard way. Politicians are people too.

 

[nehalem256]

Or he had a serious talk with his son and it legitimately changed his opinions. You don't know that didn't happen, and you're jumping to completely unsupported conclusions that it didn't.

And why would talking to his son have changed his opinion and not any of the other people he had serious talks about same-sex marriage with?

:hmm:

 

[irishScott]

And why would talking to his son have changed his opinion and not any of the other people he had serious talks about same-sex marriage with?

:hmm:

Because it's his son? Do you not have a family or something?

People have stronger personal connections with family members than they do with strangers (I have to explain this?). That emotional connection, on a daily basis, influences members of a family in ways strangers are incapable of doing.

 

[cybrsage]

And why would talking to his son have changed his opinion and not any of the other people he had serious talks about same-sex marriage with?

:hmm:

Because his son would know how to talk to him and he would naturally listen closer and with more care than he would with stranger. It is just how humans work.