The fallout from the anti-gay comments of Sen. Chris Buttars continues as Senate Republicans met behind closed doors for more than two hours Monday to air their concerns and views about the remarks.

"Just about everyone in the caucus expressed his or her feelings relating to the issue and I think it was a venting process," said Sen. Peter Knudson.

Buttars has been under fire for a week, after he told a documentary filmmaker that gays pose the greatest internal threat to the country, lack morals, are demanding special rights and engage in disgusting sexual practices.

Senate leaders had hoped to put the issue behind them last week, after Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, stripped Buttars of his chairmanship and membership on two committees -- the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Judicial Confirmation Committee.

"We all very much consider this a significant wrench thrown into the middle of an otherwise very productive session," said Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.

Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, said her party still has concerns about how the issue was handled and would like to see further action taken. The Democrats have called a news conference for Tuesday morning.

They are expected to call for Buttars to be removed from the Senate Rules Committee, which has immense power in deciding which bills progress through the Senate.

The Senate, coincidentally, approved a resolution Monday calling on legislators and citizens to engage in civil debate. Those that do not "should be brought to the light, held accountable and should no longer enjoy the public's trust."

"This is not a call for all of us to agree, but it is a call for all of us to be civil in our discourse," said Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, the sponsor of the resolution.

Valentine was president of the Senate last year when Buttars found himself in hot water for comments he made that were deemed racially insensitive and for scolding a judge who had ruled against his friend.

Waddoups beat Valentine in the leadership election based in part on his criticism of Valentine's handling of the situation.

Buttars, who has said he disagreed with the decision to punish him for his comments and refused to apologize, sat through the meeting, in which members of the fractured caucus expressed their concerns.

"I would say the discussions were very candid and very direct and there was no question as to individuals, how they felt about this current situation, about how they felt about what we need to do going forward," Killpack said.

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said on a radio show he hosts Saturday that Buttars was not reprimanded for the content of his comments, but for violating an agreement with Senate leaders not to speak publicly on gay issues because he had become a "lightning rod" on those issues.

Sen. Scott McCoy, the only openly gay member of the Senate, said he is irritated that Republican senators are approaching him privately to apologize for Buttars' remarks, then publicly saying they support their GOP colleague.

"He was saying a bunch of junk about a whole class of people, of which I am one, and that's what bothers me so much," McCoy said. "I would much rather have you have some gumption and come and say it to may face than be two-faced and say one thing in public" and another in private.

Waddoups said Democrats' views would be considered, but noted they make up just eight of the Senate's 29 members.