Will Portman, the son of Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), penned an essay for the Yale Daily News on Monday in which he details his experience in coming out of the closet.
The story came to the fore recently after Sen. Portman became the first Republican senator to endorse same-sex marriage, attributing his experience with his son as the impetus for his change of position.
Will Portman wrote that he informed his parents of his sexual orientation in the form of a letter sent during his freshman year at Yale. He said his parents never wavered in their support after learning that he’s gay.
“They called as soon as they got the letter,” Will Portman wrote. “They were surprised to learn I was gay, and full of questions, but absolutely rock-solid supportive. That was the beginning of the end of feeling ashamed about who I was.”
Read the entire piece here.