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Republican Mark Kirk Joins Rob Portman In Supporting Same Sex Marriage

Another Republican congressman comes out in support of gay marriage, and this time, it didn’t take his son being gay for him to accept gays loving each other. He now joins Rob Portman as the only two Republicans in Congress approving of same-sex marriage.

Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois announced his support Tuesday for gay marriage, becoming the second Republican to endorse marriage equality.

Kirk, who recently returned to Congress after suffering a stroke, joins Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio as the only sitting Republican senators to support marriage for same-sex couples.

“Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage,” Kirk said in a statement. “Our time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you and love and who loves you back — government has no place in the middle.”

The senator’s announcement comes a week after the U.S. Supreme Court heard historic arguments challenging same-sex marriage and as public opinion polls show more acceptance. The change in attitudes has also been occurring in the U.S. Senate, starting first with Portman and then a host of Democrats who have publicly declared their support.

Rob Portman Endorses Gay Marriage After Being Personally Affected By The Issue

We’ve seen this story played out many times in the past. If a Republican is not directly affected by something, then they are going to be against it. That was Ohio’s Senator Rob Portman’s position on gay marriage until the gayness came knocking on his door.

Portman’s change of heart came in February 2011 when he found out that his own 21 year old son was gay. “That isn’t how I’ve always felt,” Portman said, acknowledging that he was once against the very idea that two people in love should get married. He revealed to CNN. ““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.”

And in an op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch, Portman wrote, “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. 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.”

So why is Portman coming out now in support of gay marriage? He is directly affected. Portman explains;

“Now it’s different, you know. I hadn’t expected to be in this position. But I do think, you know, having spent a lot of time thinking about it and working through this issue personally that, you know, this is where I am, for reasons that are consistent with my political philosophy, including family values, including being a conservative who believes the family is a building block of society, so I’m comfortable there now.”

John Fugelsang said it best today on the Stephanie Miller Show, when he said that we can’t wait for Portman’s son to come out as the middle class. Maybe then, Portman will be inclined to do more for the jobless and suffering in this country.

Portman was on the short list to be Mitt Romney’s vice presidential candidate. He admitted to telling Romney that he had a gay son. Romney eventually chose Paul Ryan as his VP.