Some people have asked me whether America is a Christian country. The answer must be no, for to call this a Christian country is to say that non-Christians are of some lesser order, not full fledged citizens of one nation. I think that the only purpose served by the campaign for the [federal anti-gay marriage] amendment is the humiliation of gay Americans, advocated by the Christian right and eagerly supported by its suitors in the Republican Party. In reality, it is gay bashing.

— Former Missouri Republican Senator John Danforth, an Episcopalian minister