Rob portman: Suddenly pro gay rights when it’s his son

[DiabloViejo]

ROB PORTMAN: SUDDENLY PRO GAY RIGHTS WHEN IT’S HIS SON
March 15th, 2013
http://smokinghotpolitics.com/?p=2300




As reported by the Huffington Post, “In 2011, Portman’s ‘openly hostile’ record on gay rights led to hundreds of students at the University of Michigan objecting to the senator speaking at the school’s graduation ceremony.”

My, how things change. Two years ago, Portman’s son came out to the Portman family – and suddenly, like a lightning bolt, it hit him: OMG, gays should have rights too!

Said Portman, in reflecting on his flip-flop, “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 . . . .”

Let us, too, reflect: Portman has been very vocal in his belief that marriage is strictly one-man/one-woman. In 1996, while in the House, Portman was a co-sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act. In 2009, Portman voted to deny same-sex couples in Washington State the right to adopt children, and as recently as 2010, he supported an amendment to ban same-sex marriage. According to Think Progress, in June 2012, he opposed the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, “explaining to ThinkProgress that businesses should be able to fire gay people without fear of legal action.”

I’m sure he does love his son and I’m sure that he does want his son to have equal opportunities. Except – how come he didn’t care about other peoples’ sons and daughters in 1996 and 2009 and 2010? How come he was willing to throw other gay individuals under the bus until it was his son that the wheels were rolling over? How come he didn’t have this “Christian charity” outlook when he was seeking to deny other peoples’ children those equal opportunities?

The short answer: He’s a hypocrite and a coward, and if he had any integrity at all, he’d tell his son, Sorry, kid, just like everybody else, you don’t deserve the same rights as the man-on-top/woman-on-bottom crowd get.

As soon as a female family member gets knocked up out of wedlock, I guess we can count on his support for abortion rights, as well.

[hondo]

True, but sometimes it has to hit home for one to have their epiphany.
Better late than never. And he did admit that's the reason he changed his position.

[Gayle in MD]

He never apologized to all of the Gay and LBT Americans he has demonized over the years.

As far as I'm concerned he's just another Narcissistic Republican Hypocrite! No empathy until it's HIS SON. And NO apoligies for other people being discriminated against annd demonized for decades by the Republicans, and by himself!

Screw Portman. When is he going to come out, and bring some of the other MANY OTHER REPUBLICAN Closeted Gays with him.

It's time for Graham, and Rinse Pubics to come out of the closet as well.