Republican presidential candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks during the first Republican presidential debate at the Quicken Loans Arena Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland. AP Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) earned applause from a hometown crowd during the first Republican presidential primary debate in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Kasich was asked by Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly how he would explain his opposition to gay marriage to a son or daughter who was theoretically gay or lesbian.

"Look, I'm an old-fashioned person here and I happen to believe in traditional marriage. But I've also said that the court has ruled … and I said we'll accept it," Kasich said of the Supreme Court's recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

"And guess what? I just went to a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because somebody doesn't think the way I do doesn't mean that I can't care about them or I can't love them. So if one of my daughters happened to be that, of course I would love them and I would accept them. Because you know what? That's what we're taught when we have strong faith."

Kasich went on to say he would love his daughters "no matter what they do."