“She’s found Tim,” someone cried. Electricity ran through the gaggle of Rochester high schooler students milling around in front of Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office. Hand-made banners tucked under the students’ arms, we surged through the Capitol building’s marble hallways towards the site of the latest T-Paw sighting, hoping to meet the governor face-to-face to deliver a call for marriage equality in Minnesota.

Racing through the corridors of the State Capitol with these young LGBT rights activists, you wouldn’t know that yet another legislative session seems likely to pass by without Minnesotans having achieved marriage equality. Sponsors of the marriage equality bill in both the House and the Senate have both acknowledged that while the bill is still alive, and may even make it out of committee in the Senate to be voted on by the full body, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to win passage in both the House and Senate this year. On top of Pawlenty’s oft-stated hostility toward same-gender marriage, the DFL leadership in either the House or the Senate has yet to voice support for moving the bill forward for a vote this session.

The high school group – members of the Rochester Teen Council, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood chiefly concerned with educating their peers about safe sex practices – had come to St Paul to join with around 100 activists, clergy, and other supporters of equality to rally for marriage equality in the Capitol rotunda. Speakers included 14 Christian and Jewish clergy, state Senator Scott Dibble, Representative Karen Clark, and several activist leaders, and KARE11 reports that gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza, and John Marty were also in attendance.

The mood was upbeat and defiant in the face of the prevailing political winds, but OutFront Minnesota’s policy director Monica Meyer said the group still had a lot of work to do to build a network of supporters that could mobilize large numbers in every legislative district in Minnesota to counter pressure on state senators and representatives from conservative religious groups.

“We want to touch the hearts of those in power,” Teen Council member Jessica Amaris told me as we scampered up the stairs towards the Senate chamber’s viewing gallery. One of Amaris’ fellow students had seen Pawlenty go into the chamber in preparation for his State of the State speech, and the group hoped to hang their signs over the edge of the balcony in full view of the Governor. She swore she and her friends bore no ill-will towards the governor, but it was clear the students were a bit peeved at being snubbed by his staff outside his office, following the rally.

“The woman [a receptionist or aide] told us ‘there’s a lot of people in Minnesota’ when we asked why he wouldn’t come out to see us,” Amaris said tartly.

Their plans came to an abrupt halt in front of a locked door – with the speech not scheduled to begin for another 30 minutes, and the balcony wasn’t yet open. The group wound their way back to the capitol’s ground floor, a little deflated, but determined to let at least some of their elected officials know about their support for equality. The ten students and three activist-chaperones from Rochester Planned Parenthood had been up since 5 AM in order to attend the early morning rally, and one could sense they weren’t going away empty-handed.

“If it’s something you feel passionate about, you’re willing to do anything for it,” Amaris said matter-of-factly, even if that meant getting up before sunrise and driving for two hours in the dark.

The band of advocates left notes with two representatives, including a giant valentine for Rep. Andy Welti: a heart-shaped banner they had made for the rally before heading home for afternoon classes. The weren’t able to bag the buck, but a signature-covered heart certainly leaves an impact.