Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon said Friday
that despite his son's coming out he's still opposed to gay marriage.
Salmon, a freshman Republican
congressman, told 3TV
that he loves his son but isn't prepared to change his views.
“I don't support the gay marriage,”
Salmon said. “My son is by far one of the most important people in
my life. I love him more than I can say.”
“I'm just not there as far as
believing in my heart that we should change 2,000 years of social
policy in favor of a redefinition of the family. I'm not there,”
he said.
Last month, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, a
Republican, announced that his son's coming out played a crucial part
in his decision to drop his opposition to the issue and become the
first sitting GOP senator to support such unions.
“It doesn't mean I don't have
respect,” Salmon said. “It doesn't mean I don't sympathize with
some of the issues. It just means that I haven't evolved to that
station. Rob Portman apparently has.”