CNN's Ana Navarro on Rob Portman: 'I respect him tremendously for putting his son above all'

CNN contributor Ana Navarro of Miami spoke to Carol Costello on Friday about U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's decision to support gay marriage after his own son came out of the closet.

"I know Rob Portman, he's a friend of mine. I'm very supportive of what he's done. I respect him tremendously for putting his son above all. And I think he has not compromised his principles. He has not changed his principles," Navarro said.

"Rob Portman also stands for principles of being a father, of being a loving husband. Of being a a family man. And as Republicans, we stand for that. We stand for family values and family unity. We stand for smaller government. We stand for not telling people who they should marry, what they should do, having government dictate private lives."

Watch the video to hear more from Navarro about marriage equality and her gay friends.

FRC criticizes Sen. Portman for supporting son and gay marriage, thanks Marco Rubio for opposing it

From Family Research Council:

FRC Statement on Senator Portman's Reversal on Marriage
March 15, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following statement in response to Senator Rob Portman's reversal on the redefinition of marriage:

"I commend Senator Portman for his unconditional love for his son. Regardless of a child's choices, the love of a parent can and should be a guiding beacon in the lives of their sons and daughters. Unconditional love, however, does not mean unconditional support in choices that are both harmful to them and society as a whole. This is especially true when we approach public policy. Our unconditional love for our children should not override the historical and social science evidence which makes abundantly clear what is best for all children and for society - being raised by a married mother and father.

"Senator Portman stated this was a generational issue, with younger Americans more supportive of redefining marriage. However, one of the Senate's youngest senators, Marco Rubio clearly articulated the need for natural marriage and the right of states to preserve it. The Supreme Court should allow the debate about marriage to continue. As this debate goes on, we believe that most states will continue to conclude that marriage exists to bring a man and a woman together as husband and wife to be father and mother to any children their union produces. Marriage is rooted in the reality that children need a mother and a father," concluded Perkins.

Video | Miami's Al Cardenas tells CNN that all are welcome at CPAC regardless of 'sexual preference'

Al Cardenas of Miami, chairman of the group running the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., told CNN's Carol Costello on Friday that everyone is welcome at CPAC regardless of "sexual preference."

From RawStory.com: “We have had a panel hosted by our friends at the Competitive Enterprise Institute involving members of the gay movement, talking about gay marriage,” Cardenas insisted. “At the same time, we had another panel that was arguing in favor of traditional marriage and values.”

Executives at GOProud, a group of conservative Republicans, say CPAC wouldn't allow them to officially participate at this year's conference.

Will Portman, son of Sen. Rob Portman: 'Especially proud of my dad today'

Posted Friday on Twitter by Will Portman, whose father, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced he is now supporting marriage for same-sex couples after his son came out as gay: 'Especially proud of my dad today'

Sen. Portman wrote in The Columbus Dispatch:

"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."

Especially proud of my dad today dispatch.com/content/storie…

— Will Portman (@wdportman) March 15, 2013

Video | Venezuela's interim President Maduro: 'If I were gay, I'd take ownership of it with pride'

From Blabbeando blog about Venezuela's interim president Nicolás Maduro:

On Monday Hugo Chavez' chosen successor and interim president Nicolás Maduro seemed to echo some homophobic statements from the past by calling himself a someone "who does like women" which some took as a swipe against opposition party candidate Henrique Capriles.

Later, Maduro denied the attack on Capriles and said on television, "If I were gay I'd take ownership of it with pride and shout it to the four winds and I would have no problem loving whoever I had to love with my heart."

Click here to read more at Blabbeando.

GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio now supports gay marriage after his own son comes out (with video)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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

Portman told reporters Thursday in Washington that his views began changing in 2011 when his college-age son Will told his parents he was gay.

Portman says he reconsidered gay marriage from a different perspective, one of a father who wants all three of his children to have happy lives with people they love.

He says he discussed the issue with his pastor and others, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is a lesbian.

Two House Republicans, including Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami, also have said they support marriage equality.

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