Gay marriage foe Rev. Jason McGuire has demanded an apology from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for painting opponents of marriage equality as bigots.

Cuomo, who is credited with ensuring the passage of a gay marriage bill earlier this summer, made his remarks at an invitation-only panel last week sponsored by The New York Times.

“Ultimately, there was no answer by the opposition. There isn't! There really isn't. And as soon as you ask the question, and you probe the answer, the only answer [by those opposed to the gay marriage bill] is, 'I want to discriminate against gay people.' And that is anti-New York, it's also anti-American,” Cuomo said.

McGuire, who heads the conservative group New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, strongly opposed the bill.

“It is one thing to disagree on an issue of public policy, but it is quite another to question the patriotism of 150 million (or more) Americans,” McGuire said in a statement.

In an open letter to Cuomo, McGuire demanded an apology.

“It is not a bigoted statement to say that children need a mother and a father. I contend that many of the issues our state is struggling with can be traced back to absentee fathers, a general lack of parental involvement and the breakdown of the family: low graduation rates, out-of-wedlock births, runaway welfare and Medicaid costs, even the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases.”

“It is my prayer that one day you too will come to realize that while supporting gay 'marriage' may have been politically expedient at the time, it was ultimately harmful to the Empire State and her citizenry.”

“Governor, you were elected to represent all New Yorkers, but your recent comments attack half of the state you lead and the nation you call home. Retract your comments and apologize to millions of New Yorkers and other proud Americans you have offended,” he added.