Advocates of same-sex marriage, who had been far outnumbered as demonstrators two years earlier, were a large and constant presence in the State House throughout the 2004 convention, coordinated by MassEquality, an umbrella organization formed to respond to the public backlash against "Goodridge". They had mobilized constituent telephone calls with increasing success in the weeks before the convention and emphasized the impact on children being raised by gay parents. The amendment's proponents drew support from Massachusetts Citizens for Life and larger donations than they had previously received, along with personal lobbying in localities.