Days after being outed by a former boyfriend, conservative Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu threw his support behind gay marriage on Monday during an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

“This is where our government needs to get the heck out of the way,” Babeu said. “You can’t legislate love.”

A rising Republican star who is competing for his party’s nomination in the state’s 4th Congressional District, Babeu has come out strongly in support of gay rights in the wake of allegations that he threatened to have his Mexican immigrant ex-lover deported if their relationship ever became public.

He also told Blitzer he believes gays should be allowed to serve openly in the military and that he would be willing to join the Log Cabin Republicans, a group of gay conservatives.