U.S. Senator Rob Portman changes stance on gay marriage, says son is gay

WASHINGTON - One of Ohio's U.S. senators has changed his stance on a controversial issue: same-sex marriage.

Republican Rob Portman made the switch from opposing gay marriage to supporting it. In an interview with CNN, the senator says his son came out to him as gay two years ago. Portman adds he worked with his son to change his stance on gay marriage.

Will Portman, 21, is a junior at Yale University.

Rob Portman was on the short list to be the vice presidential candidate for Mitt Romney last year. He tirelessly toured Ohio with the Republican presidential candidate.

In the interview with CNN, Portman says he told the Romney campaign that he had a gay son. At one point, Portman went to former Vice President Dick Cheney for advice because Cheney has a gay daughter.

Portman is a conservative Republican. While he was a congressman, he supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and voted on a bill that would stop gay couples in Washington from adopting kids.

"Good Morning Cleveland" is following the latest on this story and will sound from the senator and the latest information all morning on NewsChannel5.