Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday took a swipe at Republican presidential candidates who oppose LGBT rights.

Biden headlined the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 19th annual National Dinner in Washington, D.C.

He started his remarks by dismissing the praise he's received for endorsing marriage equality during a 2012 Meet the Press interview. A few days later, President Barack Obama announced that he had “evolved” on the issue.

“I've been thanked for speaking up, apparently out of turn on Meet the Press,” the vice president said. “I wanna make something clear, and I mean this sincerely. Some of you credit me with taking a political risk, or thought I was doing something special, but folks I was just answering in a straightforward direct way what I've known my whole life.”

Biden said that when he was 17, he witnessed two men kiss in public. He looked at his father, who told him, “Joey, they're in love with each other. It's that simple.”

“And it's always been that simple for me,” Biden said.

Biden credited nationwide marriage equality on the LGBT movement, not the celebrities or national figures such as himself who endorsed such unions.

“It's because of all of you and thousands of faceless people like you who have had the courage to stand up and speak. Speak their hearts and minds. … But as I said back in 2012, the vast majority of the American people agreed with me, with what I said, and have agreed with you for a long time before then. So, you left the Supreme Court absolutely no choice, no choice whatsoever, I mean this, but to recognize the simple proposition my father taught me 50 years ago.”

“You've changed the world in which my grandchildren will grow up in, all for the better.”

“There's still those shrill voices in the national political arena, trying to undo what has finally been done. But they're not going to succeed. Don't worry about it. The American people have moved so far beyond them and their appeals to prejudice and fear and homophobia.”

“The American people are already with you,” he later repeated. “Look at the numbers. Oh, there's homophobes still left, most of them are running for president, I think.”

Biden also praised the contributions of HRC honorees actress Ellen Page and Apple CEO Tim Cook and called for passage of the Equality Act.