More than a dozen New York restaurant customers stepped up to defend a gay couple facing harassment by a man opposed to same-sex marriage.

What they didn't know was that the couple and the gay marriage opponent were actors hired by " What Would You Do?"

While gay marriage continues to be a hot-button issue in the  U.S. presidential race, lawmakers in New York state legalized gay marriage last June. New York is the sixth and largest state to date to adopt gay marriage, and Washington state is poised to become the seventh.

In the "What Would You Do?" scenario, staged at  Prime Restaurant in Huntington, N.Y.,  actor Peter proposes to Mark, a fellow actor playing his long-time boyfriend. A third actor, Vince, plays the gay marriage opponent, loudly voicing his disapproval.

As we staged the scene again and again, 14 different people came to our couple's defense and rebuffed Vince.

"I know plenty of people who are supposedly in a 'real marriage' that have broken marriages so … as long as they're happy, and do the right thing," one woman said.

One man, however, did side with Vince.

"There's Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve.  It's not Biblical," the man later told anchor John Quinones.

Watch diners' emotional reactions below and see the whole scenario unfold Friday at 9 p.m. ET on "What Would You Do?"