In fielding questions about gay marriage, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele called repeal of the military's ban on open gay service, known as “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” “dangerous.”

RNC voting members will gather later this month to decide whether Steele keeps his job or is replaced by another candidate.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), an opponent of gay marriage, has interviewed leading candidates via Skype and posted their responses on its website. All of the candidates interviewed agree with the group on the issue.

In his interview, Steele, who's previously made headlines by calling civil unions “crazy” and arguing that gay marriage would be bad for small business, said that he respects former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman but disagrees with his position on gay marriage. (Mehlman came out gay in 2010 to fundraise for the group supporting repeal of California's gay marriage ban, Proposition 8.)

“Ken, as you know, is a dear friend and I respect him and thank him for his leadership of the party, but this is one where we disagree,” Steele said. “I believe very firmly that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

And Steele insisted that opposition to gay marriage is not anti-gay.

“You can support the institution of marriage between a man and a woman as has been divined if you will over time, but doesn't mean that you are somehow anti anyone or anything. You just feel very strongly about this issue.”

Steele went on to say he believes the battle ahead lies in the states, but added that he supports a federal ban on gay marriage. In closing, he said that repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” had put America on a “dangerous course.”

“We have a lot of work ahead of us and we're going to need to stand united and stronger than ever before,” Steele added. “This administration, I believe, has put this country on a very dangerous course. From 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to what we see in health care, I think now we're going to have to come together in a way that we never realized before and I think it's going to be an important time for us.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)