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Dayton To Address Gay Rights Rally At Capitol

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will speak to the state's biggest annual gathering of gay rights activists at the state Capitol.

OutFront Minnesota is the state's leading gay-rights group. On Thursday it holds its annual Rally for Equality at noon on the front lawn of the Capitol. Previous rallies have drawn hundreds of gay rights supporters, and participants also take the chance to lobby their legislators on gay-rights issues.

Dayton supports legalized gay marriage, but Republican majorities in the state House and Senate are highly unlikely to get on board. Some Republicans are seeking a statewide vote to ban gay marriage in Minnesota's constitution, though a referendum measure may not get introduced until next year's legislative session.

Dayton as governor cannot block constitutional amendments from getting a statewide vote.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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