In response to a question concerning gay rights Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan revealed that he has changed his previous stance and now supports adoption by same sex couples. The former GOP candidate for vice president voted to ban same sex couples from adopting in 1999.
Ryan suggested that if adoption by same sex couples came up for a vote again that he would vote differently.
"I do believe that if there are children who are orphans who do not have a loving person or couple. . . I think if a person wants to love and raise a child, they ought to be able to do that," Ryan said. "Period. I would vote that way."
While Ryan has changed his stance on adoption, his opposition of same sex marriage has not wavered.
"I do believe marriage is between a man and a woman, we just respectfully disagree on that issue," Ryan said.
Rebecca Leber and Zack Ford of the left leaning ThinkProgress website argues it's nonsensical to support one of these issues without supporting the other.
"Ryan's opposition to marriage equality actually makes less sense given his support for same-sex adoption. One of the primary arguments against same-sex marriage is the false claim that children are better off with opposite-sex parents," ThinkProgress said. "Now it seems he supports allowing same-sex families to raise children, but he still opposes providing those families the same legal protections afforded opposite-sex parents."
Without a vote on same sex adoption heading to the House any time soon why does it matter that Ryan suddenly supports it? Peter Grier of the Christian Science Monitor argues that Ryan's change of opinion is indicative of widespread political change.
"It's one more indication that the political ground on gay rights is rapidly shifting in the United States," Grier said. "Coming after Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio announced that he now supports same-sex marriage, in part because he has a gay son, Ryan's announcement shows that even fiscally conservative former national-ticket candidates now feel they must make some sort of accommodation to the growing social acceptance of gays in the U.S."
According to USA Today Ryan told Madison ABC affiliate WKOW that he had changed his opinion on adoption many years ago despite never stating so publicly.
