Florida Senator Marco Rubio says the GOP should not alter its opposition to social issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

The 41-year-old Rubio is a rising star in the GOP. Despite his relative youth, Rubio believes the party should not abandon social issues.

In a profile in men's glossy GQ, Rubio was asked: “You talk a lot to young Republicans. Recently I met a Republican who said, my kids are in high school and there's a prom. There's straight kids, gay kids. It's no big deal to them. And he says, my party, the Republican party, has to stop putting these social issues out there and talking more about stuff that effects people.”

“I think that's unfair,” Rubio answered. “A significant percentage of Americans feel very strongly about this issue. What I'm hearing is that it's ok for one side to express their view and the other side needs to be quiet. There are a very significant number of Americans that feel very strongly about the issue of life, about the issue of marriage and are we saying that they should be silenced or not allowed to speak or voice their opinion? There's a way to do that that is respectful and productive. There are things we'll always disagree on, but it doesn't mean we go to war over them or divide our country over them. We agree to disagree, but we continue to work together on the things we all know that we have to do.”

Rubio was among the social conservatives tapped by the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to record robocalls calling on voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington state to vote against ballot initiatives legalizing gay marriage.