Ohio Senator Portman now supports gay marriage

CINCINNATI (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio says he now supports gay marriage because one of his sons is gay.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that during an interview Thursday in Washington, Portman said his evolution on the subject of gay marriage began in 2011 when his son, Will, then a freshman at Yale University, told his parents he was gay.

Portman says his new views reflect "a change of heart from the position of a father" and that he first talked to his pastor and others, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is a lesbian.

As a member of the House in 1996, Portman voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.