Social conservative activists, working behind the scenes to keep a statement heralding traditional marriage in the Republican National Committee’s platform, expect to lose a fight over gay adoption which presidential candidate Mitt Romney has cooly endorsed.

While the focus of activists is on the marriage language, some see Romney’s adoption endorsement and the involvement in platform writing of a prominent gay group as an opening for a move to woo gays, a key Democratic donor and support group. Same sex adoption doesn’t appear to be as controversial as gay marriage, according to several activists.