Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney touted his opposition to marriage for same-sex couples in a speech he gave at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

“On my watch, we fought hard and prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage,” he said, referring to a 1913 law that he evoked to prevent out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in the commonwealth. Governor Deval Patrick repealed the statute in 2008.

Romney further stressed his support for a Constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman in a further attempt to further court skeptical conservatives. The former Massachusetts governor said he would also defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, expressed disappointment over Romney’s CPAC speech.

“Instead of simply saying that he opposed gay marriage, Romney instead chose to play to the ugliest and most divisive impulses in this country,” he said. “If he thinks this is the way to appeal to Tea Party conservatives who have reservations about his candidacy, he is dead wrong.