The event was organized by the Iowa Family Policy Center, a socially conservative advocacy group. Several dozen high schoolers held a protest next to the rally, waving banners with the slogan, "Keep hatred out of Iowa's future."

One of the protesters, Robert Martin of Des Moines, said gay marriage is being gradually accepted in Iowa, especially among young people. He said opponents of gay marriage can see the trends shifting and view it as a threat. "They're trying to make it harder for us to change the law when we become of voting age," he said.

Backers of the so-called marriage amendment say that Iowans deserve chance to vote on the issue. Gay marriage is already illegal under state law. But advocates for the amendment say the law may not be strong enough to withstand a legal challenge.

Arguments over the amendment spilled over into the Senate Tuesday afternoon. Sen. Bob Brunkhorst, R-Waverly, asked the Senate State Government Committee to vote on whether to debate the marriage amendment. He was trying to bypass Senate procedure, because the amendment has been blocked from reaching the committee by Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines.

"I move we adjourn," Horn said as he was walking toward the door. Democrats went into a closed-door meeting. The committee is scheduled to meet again today.

Earlier Tuesday, Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs issued a statement saying he believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman. He noted that Iowa law recognizes this. "As a state Legislature, we cannot step foot on the slippery slope of amending the state constitution every time a state law is challenged," he said.

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