Paul Ryan gay adoption stance has changed, and USA Today reports that the Wisconsin GOP rep and former vice-presidential candidate now believes gay couples should be able to adopt children.

Asked at a town-hall meeting Monday in Wisconsin about the issue, Ryan said he would “vote differently these days” but he still opposes gay marriage. In 1999, the congressman voted in favor of banning same-sex couples in the District of Columbia.

From a video posted on the left-leaning Think Progress website, Ryan was seen saying, "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. Period. I would vote that way."

In the 2012 presidential campaign, GOP nominee Mitt Romney said he supported gay adoption but at the time it was not known where Ryan stood on the issue apart from his 1999 vote.

On the issue of gay marriage, Ryan reiterated his incumbent stance on the issue saying, "Marriage is between a man and a woman. We just respectfully disagree on the issue."

There has been heightened interest in gay marriage since the Supreme Court heard challenges on two related cases in March. Ryan said at the meeting that if the justices decided that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, then he believes it will become a “federalism” issue for states to decide on the issue of gay marriage.

ABC affiiate WKOW-TV in Madison, Wis., said Ryan’s gay-adoption comment was the “biggest surprise of the afternoon” but it did not post tape of his comments. Paul Ryan claims that he has decided to change his mind on the issue years ago, but the TV station reported this is the first time he has talked about it publicly.