Despite the allegations of shouting, storming, and bullying, most protesters at the event did little more than quietly watch the proceedings, or hold an ironic sign. "I don't believe in confronting people and having fights,” says gay District resident Bob Goldstein, who showed up out of curiosity. "You can't really change people's minds ... if you go and just yell at one another and throw things." Dr. Rev. Cindi Love, Executive Director of LGBT advocacy group Soulforce, was on hand to document any aggression on NOM’s part — even if it might fuel accusations against her own group. "I don’t think you can ever prevent people from telling lies about you if they want to," says Love.

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NOM's most vocal opponents stood clear of the podium and attempted to divert attention from the rally with the help of a megaphone. "National Organization for Marriage!" a woman announced into the device with the help of another protester, who held the speaker high over her head. "You have said that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and allied people have been intolerant of your summer tour of homophobia! Let us now show you that no one should tolerate words and actions that paint us as second-class citizens. We’re going to take a few moments to honor our dead!"

"Keep it moving!" a U.S. Capitol Police officer called after them, as a team of officers emerged to escort the group to another section of the Capitol Grounds. "NOM’s words keep our families from being equal from straight families under the law," the megaphone blasted as the protesters slowly complied with the move. "But more tragically, let us never forget, NOM’s words lead to murder!"

The bulk of NOM’s detractors, though, gathered well outside the rally's ear-shot. At an organized counter-rally in Freedom Plaza, a coalition of LGBT groups staged a program of speakers, exchanged vows "recommitting ourselves to marriage equality," and served refreshments. The choice of locale reflected a concerted effort to avoid allegations of confrontation from NOM, counter-rally representative Sean Carlson said. "We felt that engaging them directly would take away from the message we wanted to put out," Carlson said. "We don’t want the story to be about our proximity and the conflict. We want the story to be about the positive and inclusive message we’re trying to accomplish with the coalition building."

The dissenters who did show up were enough to complete NOM's narrative of angry LGBTs. "Yeah, they’re coming out. Yeah, they’re trying to shout us down. If they weren’t afraid of you, they would ignore you," Jackson said. "Their presence confirms their fear and it ought to energize you!"

At the end of the rally, the group broke out in enthusiastic dancing to a gospel performance in support of heterosexual unions. But it wasn't protesters energizing Burke, Va. resident and NOM supporter Anne Bowden. “I was not offended at all,” says Bowden, who appeared at the rally in a "Don't Mess With Marriage" T-shirt and a "Let the People Vote on Marriage" button. "I guess at one point someone was talking, you know, but that didn’t last too long. I felt that they were overall very respectful."