[media-credit name=’PATRICK STATZ-BOYER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]In the aftermath of the recent passage of the gay marriage and civil unions ban, the fight for gay rights continues as scores of amendment-dissenters gathered Friday in protest.

A group largely comprised of University of Wisconsin students rallied against the amendment — which passed in 71 of Wisconsin's 72 counties — Friday afternoon in Library Mall.

The group also marched up State Street to the Capitol building while collectively chanting anti-amendment language such as, "No justice, no peace, out of the closets, into the streets!" and "Pray, you'll need it, your cause will be defeated!"

UW junior Susan Borlaug — who circulated a petition throughout the crowd Friday — said she was pleased with the protest's turnout, which included members from several student organizations like the International Socialist Organization and Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group. The petition documented the protesters' opposition to the amendment and was meant to be presented to Dane County Clerk Robert Ohlsen. However, Ohlsen was not in his office when the group reached the Capitol.

"It's not an issue about gay or straight, it's just a human-rights issue," Borlaug said.

Dane County was the only county in Wisconsin that did not pass the amendment, and Borlaug said it is not fair for the constitutional amendment to be effective in Dane County just because it passed in the rest of the state.

"We are a bunch of students that are pissed off, basically. … Hopefully we can gain more support and have our representatives actually listen to us," she said.

Representatives from the Dane County Clerk's office were unavailable for comment as of press time.

When the petitioners learned Ohlsen was not in his office, they moved the demonstration to the office of amendment author Rep. Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin. Gundrum was not in his office when the protesters arrived, but he told The Badger Herald he was not surprised when he heard about the anti-amendment protesters.

"I guess nothing surprises me at Madison," Gundrum said. "They had their chance. They tried everything under the sun to try to defeat it, and there was overwhelming support of traditional marriage."

Gundrum added the amendment is good for Wisconsin because "traditional marriage" is imperative to maintaining healthy families in the state.

UW graduate student Paul Heideman participated in the demonstration and said he believes the amendment will be stricken from the Wisconsin Constitution. Heideman added that the people of Wisconsin have heard campaigns against the amendment, but no arguments supporting same-sex marriage, which may be what needs to be done to spread the anti-amendment sentiment.

"There were plenty of discriminatory state amendments passed during the Civil Rights Era. Just because it's in the Constitution doesn't mean it has to be there forever," Heideman said. "If people get together and actually show that gay marriage is something we want, I think we have the power to take it out of the Constitution."

Gundrum, however, said the marriage amendment Wisconsin voters passed Nov. 7 is not comparable to legislative changes made during that time period.

"[The marriage amendment] has nothing to do with immutable characteristics such as race," Gundrum said.

Borlaug acknowledged that the protesters' efforts will not take effect immediately, but said she is confident their efforts will eventually lead to results.

"We defiantly believe that we can do something in the next couple of years to get something rolling," Borlaug said. "It's going to take a while to get done, but we're hoping to get it all done."