CONCORD, N.H. — Rick Santorum left the stage of a town-hall meeting to a chorus of boos Thursday after getting into a contentious debate over gay marriage with an audience comprised of mostly young people.

Speaking at the 2012 “College Convention” here, the fireworks started when a student asked Santorum why he opposed gay marriage. Santorum’s rhetorical style when answering questions is often to ask question back to the audience. But his questions soon prompted shouting from members of the nearly 200-person crowd, which led to an, at times, hostile back and forth.

“How about the idea that all men are created [with] equal rights to happiness and liberty?” a woman in the audience asked the former Pennsylavnia senator after he stated his opposition to gay marriage.

Santorum retorted, “Are we saying that everyone should have the right to marry?”

When the audience member told him yes, he shot back, “So anyone can marry can marry anybody else, so, if that’s the case, then everyone can marry several people.”

via First Read – Santorum booed in contentious exchange over gay marriage.