Rick Santorum and New Hampshire students square off over marriage rights for gays

By Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff

CONCORD, N.H. -- A group of college students hosting Rick Santorum today closely questioned the socially conservative presidential candidate over his views on gay rights and ended the lively session by booing him as he left the stage.

Warning the students several times to keep their comments civil, Santorum openly debated audience members at a convention sponsored by New England College, in Henniker. Many in the audience disagreed with Santorum’s staunch opposition to marriage rights for homosexuals. They grew especially agitated when Santorum resorted to a common conservative argument of social conservatives -- equating gay marriage with polygamy.

``What is the public purpose of changing the law?’’ he asked his questioners. ``Every child in America deserves to know and be loved by their mother and father. When we deny children that birthright, we are harming children, we are harming society.’’

He also said a constitutional amendment is required to define marriage as between a man and a woman. It should not be viewed in the context of states rights, he added.

``I don’t believe we can have 50 different definitions of marraige in this country.’’

Santorum, a Catholic, has campaigned on a strong family-values, anti-abortion platform.

After his defeat by a tiny eight-vote margin in the Iowa caucus, he is hoping to cut into Mitt Romney’s big lead in the polls in New Hampshire and place at least second in Tuesday’s primary. That would set him up to compete strongly in the Jan. 21 primary in South Carolina, a friendlier Bible Belt state.

Santorum also held a town hall meeting and visited a diner today in Tilton. He was scheduled to hold a second town hall meeting tonight at the high school in Windham.