Dozens of angry demonstrators gathered outside the Out NYC hotel in Hell's Kitchen yesterday, protesting that owners Ian Reisner and Mati Weiderpass threw a private reception for anti-gay GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

One sign read "This hotel closed for homophobia."

Related: Gay Hotel Owners Defend Throwing Party For Ted Cruz

After photos from the function, held last week at the former couple's penthouse apartment, became public, there were calls for a boycott of their properties, including the Out and commercial venues in Fire Island Pines.

[caption id="attachment_196415" align="alignnone" width="551"] Cruz and Weiderpass[/caption]

“Ted Cruz would be the first to look the other way as queers were put in the ovens,” activist Sean Strub posted on Facebook, along with a link to a boycott page. “If it wasn’t he who was turning on the gas.”

Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin wrote an open letter on Huffington Post chastised Weiderpass and Reisner for seeming "unaware of Cruz's disgusting views as they gleefully hosted and posted pictures of Cruz at their event."

"Let's not support those who believe we'll burn in hell because of who we are and who we love," he urged.

Both a Broadway Bares preview show and a NYC Gay Men's Chorus fundraiser were cancelled in light of Reisner and Weiderpass' link to Cruz.

At first the two men insisted they were only crossing the aisle to find common ground.

“Ted Cruz said, ‘If one of my daughters was gay, I would love them just as much,’” said Reisner.

“The fact that Senator Cruz accepted the invitation to my home was a step in the right direction towards him having a better understanding of who I am and what I believe in,” wrote Weiderpass on Facebook.

Within a day, however, both took to social media to apologize.

"I am shaken to my bones by the e-mails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days," wrote Reisner. "I made a terrible mistake."

Weiderpass said he shared in Reisner's remorse. "I, too, lay humbled with what has happened in the last week. I made a terrible mistake. Unfortunately I cannot  undo this."

Not so surprisingly, Cruz's camp released a statement affirming the candidate is still doggedly opposed to marriage equality, and that the reception was mostly to discuss "national security, foreign policy, and America's commitment to standing with Israel."

Days later Cruz introduce two anti-marriage equality measures, and then told a crowd in Iowa that Republicans  should "fall to our knees in prayer" that the Supreme Court rules against the freedom to marry.

Below, photos posted on Facebook capture the scene at the protest, courtesy of Boycott Fire Island Pines Establishments and Out NYC Hotels.