SHERMAN, TEXAS -- Chick-fil-a has been criticized lately for the anti-gay marriage comments made by a restaurant executive.

Today, across the nation, and right here in Texoma, people showed their support for Chick-fil-a by eating there.

Drive by the Sherman Chick-fil-a at lunchtime any day of the week and you're bound to see a full house. On Wednesday, those lines were longer than normal.

"Yes, today it is a little bit different. We do frequent Chick-fil-a because they do have good food. Today we're coming out and fighting the lines and the crowds because we believe in what they stand for," Chick-fil-a supporter Ted Pierce said.

Pierce is just one of the hundreds of Texomans that ate at Chick-fil-a today to show their support for the company.

"We love Chick-fil-a," supporter Carrie Butts said.

Mike McStay proudly held his bag of nuggets and fries.

He says that the anti-gay comments made by a Chick-fil-a executive are not hate speech.

"So you just don't see it as hate speech?"

"No. If they want hate speech, look what's going on in the world," McStay said.

Chick-fil-a says it doesn't discriminate against anyone, but supporters of same-sex marriage have accused the chain of discrimination and are calling for a boycott.

McStay says he ate at the restaurant today to support their freedom of speech: a sentiment that was echoed by others.

"Today I'm also supporting them, besides getting a meal, for freedom of speech and also for religion," supporter Jackie Walker said.

Others were out at Chick-fil-a just to show support for the values they promote year-round.

"I think the morals they communicate by closing down on Sundays. I think if we had more places like this, you know, to take a stand, I think we'd be a better nation for it," supporter David Hudgens said.

"We believe that they should have the same freedom of speech that everybody else should have. They should also have the freedom to express their religious views," Pierce said.

CBS News reports that the statement Chick-fil-a executive Dan Cathy made back in June said that he's supportive of the "biblical definition of the family unit" and that they are a "family-led business."

Of course, there is another side to this story.

There are gay rights groups planning a "kiss-in" campaign at Chick-fil-a stores across the nation for Friday.

We called a local gay rights group, but haven't been able to get in touch with them.