Prism is supposed to be an anonymous event. Please don’t tag photos on facebook so you don’t accidentally out someone. Don’t write peoples names (especially rare names) on LiveJournal etc. Make sure you have express permission for every single thing. Don’t use last names ever.

Announcements:
Take Back the Night is tomorrow (4/23) because of rain tonight. Green Hall 8pm.
Montclair Garden State Equality 6:30-9:30pm Phone Banking.
Power Summit: This weekend. Doing marriage Equality on Mothers day in Princeton, where NOM is located.
Funny NOM spoof: giantgayrainbowumbrella.com
Loopbus: Saturday April 25 from 12-6pm. If you would like to go for part of the time, contact Michelle Emile.
Cardboard Boat Regatta: Wednesday 2pm. Please come and support.
The Boats are as follows: 1. Kyle, Liz, Michelle, Brandon. 2. Janella, Megan, Rahool, Sarah 3. Emily W, Heather, Pam, Rachel 4. Eleana, Emily C, Brenda, Jacqui
For the Cardboard Boat Regatta, people are going to wear the new PRISM, TCNJ Marriage Equality Team Shirt.
Equality Forum: April 27 – May 3.

Publicity announcement: Nick is the new one.

Remember…. PLEASE RESPECT PEOPLES ANONYMITY

Fun time… make a dream board!!!
Dream board is a representation of what we want to accomplish within the next few years. Words, pictures, etc.
Have a nice week!!

Here's an interesting article on marriage equality from NPR.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103136777&ft=1&f=1012

And one about introducing a marriage bill in NY.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/04/16/2009-04-16_gov_paterson_introduces_legislation_to_legalize_gay_marriage_in_new_york.html

Support the TCNJ Marriage Equality team!
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Power Summit in Maine
April 24- 25.

For more info about how to support our 5 members, email prism@tcnj.edu.

NDOS Tabling 11-3 Thursday and Friday 10-3. You can sign up to do this today.
We are not afraid poster to sign, buttons to get.
Demonstrating 10-3 in the student center, come for some time, the whole time, any time.
If you are comfortable, you can wear duct tape with mean words on them. Get your duct tape on Friday.
Mixer- Saturday April 18th. Princeton U.
Marriage Equality update. We have $3000, so they are going to maine. We surpassed our goal of post cards, we have done over 500.
Tonight- 6:00pm we have people from our group or our group representing over 6 different awards, Kendall hall.
Publicity Chair: email the prism account. You will need to meet with the e board to talk about the specifics.

Icebreaker: throw the ball.
Jacqui's meeting.
Hate Crimes- crime against someone because of something they are or might be, (disability, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion)
They still exist.
Talk about some of the famous laws and crimes.
Maps from NGLTF shows… Hate crime laws that currently exist.
Some cases:
Brandon Teena- trans- raped, beaten, shot- for not having male gentiles. Nebraska
Latisha Green- trans- shot. Was in the process of M-T
Matthew Shepard
Gwen Araujo- film- a girl like me, lifetime film
Private First Class Barry Winchell- killed for dating a M-T trans woman
Harvey Milk

Many hate crimes are committed by closeted, un-accepting, self hating homosexuals.

Gay panic defense. Has been the object of unwanted sexual or romantic panic, this brings on psychotic state that results in violent. Has been less frequent since homosexuality has become more accepted.

We are working towards more safe places, being gay will eventually be like being left handed, no one will care.

People take the NOM Gathering storm seriously and the dayoftruth.
Talk about the gay scare…
Funny movie from Jacqui… it is satire after the day of silence, after the day of truth, day of ultimate truth…
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=933665&searchid=1bace188-b104-41a0-8694-ac38c5728c03

Announcements:
Fully funded for NDOS. April 17
Sign up for tabling and demonstrating. (W, H, F 11-2) (Demonstrating 10-3)
Day long vow of silence. Emulate silence forced on other GLBT individuals
Breaking silence event. 8pm. Masquerade ball 8-10.30. BSC 202
If you would like to help with anything for Day of Silence, please contact Jacqui at pastore5@tcnj.edu

We have fundraised all our money to send our 5 representitives to Maine for Power Summit.

This is a message from Michelle, our advisor:
Thank you so much for your passion for winning marriage equality in New Jersey! Today, we gave the field director of Garden State Equality over 200 signed postcards that will be delivered to our elected officials. Today, we fulfilled our goal of raising $2860.00 to send 5 members of PRISM to the Power Summit marriage equality training in Portland, Maine. Thank you for being the most amazing student group ever!
Michelle Stecker, Co-Advisor

Meeting:
Hannah Johnson- GSE field director. Organizing
Dani Bernstein- organizer from Cali.
postcarding 15th. 11-2 in alumni grove
Hannah has been doing campaigns for gay marriage in cali, wisconson, nj.
Dani north jersey field manager. Has worked in cali

Icebreaker: name, identity, why do you want marriage equality.

Campaign update:
-Good: Iowa, Vermont got marriage. Will help up in nj. Our legistature will be less afraid of it. Have volunteers active all over.
-Bad: Very active opposition. National organization for marriage in Princeton. They have been targeting NJ, made tv ad. We need to raise money and mobilize voluneteers.
-Bottom Line:40 districts 80 people, we need 41 people to get that. We only have 18 senators, we need 3 more. Working on 6 of them.
-Why 09? Window of opporitunity. Corzine up for reelection. Assembly up for reelection, we don’t want to loose support. Could come up in June or November.
-Plan: personal contacts, 1,000 postcards, 100 phone calls, 50 letters.
-Today we will talk about phone calls and postcards.
-Dick Cody is senate president. Steve Sweeney is senate majority leader. Shirley Turner is for our district at TCNJ
Postcards. 3 on a page, one go to senator, 2 for assembly men.
-Hold it to your side so you can have open body language. Approach people. Need to walk up to them, all friendly, look them in the eye, one moment to connect. Smile at them. Put address where people are most comfortable. Paper mail wont be sent to there homes. Will get garden state equality emails.

Announcements:
Thursday 4/2- Drag Show. TW main Lounge 8pm.
Saturday 4/4- Accepted students day tabling 10-3 in the stud. email Brenda if you can to help
Monday 4/6- Cosponsoring with OAVI- Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhytms. 8-10 library auditorium. Film. Q&A with film maker.
Wednesday 4/15 at 2pm- Liz's sophomore recital. Music building.
Next Meetng: Garden State Equality Rep. will present information about where we are with marriage equality. We will be going after to do some postcarding.
We have raised $1,000 so far to send members to the Power Summit.

The Meeting presented by Rahool:
If you are helping with Drag show... Make up: 6pm Prism Center. Decorations, 6pm in TW

History of drag and cultures. Power of drag, stereotypes. Pictures of men and women.
Kabookii… Japanese perfromances, women could not act in plays…. Only men perform
Manipuri… Indian performances, men could not perform, all women actresses
Drag queens are a recent phenomena
Drag Queen- guy who dresses as a women
Drag king- women who dresses as a guy
fauxking/fauxqueen- guy who dresses as a guy or women who dresses as a women. also called Biologically challenged.
Bioking/ bioqueen. Girl who wants to be a boy who wants to be a girl or vis versa
Stereotypically always one life. But really have drag persona and individual persona.

Drag queens have power- European idol.
Andre- guy who won has a wife and 2 kids. Not all drag queens are gay
Create a fake drag name: First pet, then first street you lived on.
Activity of making real drag names.
Real drag queens base theirs off of what they wear/do in their act. Based on persona.
Making drag queen/king name + what they do +signature move

Friday April 17th
National day of silence
Need help: flyers, chalking, bannering, etc
4/17- silent all day. Breaking the silence masquerade ball in the student center. Can be fancy or not fancy. Symbolic and cool. Discussions. How did you feel? Bring your friends.
Don’t need to be silent all day to go to the party.
You can support by participating or just support. Buttons to say supporting or to say silent. Tell your professors.
Materials will be available at tabling, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Announcements:

-3/25: Wednesday at 9pm in the PRISM Center is the Passion Party Fundraiser
-3/26: Thursday is Clubbing at The Den in New Brunswick. Meet at 8:30 at the ATMs. Cover is $10 for under 21 year olds. $3 for over 21 year olds.
-3/37: Friday at 8pm in BSC 202 the Mixed Signals are having a comedy night where they have invited other comedy groups, include past Mixed Signals, like our very own Michael Miragliotta to perform. Admission is $3.
-3/28: Saturday is a Picnic behind ABE. Meet there at 11:30.
-4/2: Thursday is the Drag Show. If you would like to perform, set up, or help performers with make up email Rahool at dave6. The Drag Show will be in the TW Main Lounge starting at 8pm. A $5 donation is suggested. Proceeds go to the Hyacinth Foundation.
-4/3: Friday and Saturday is Relay for Life. You can support our team by purchasing a paper sneaker to go on the banner to honor someone who has had cancer. You can still register for the PRISM team, registration fee is $20.
-4/4: Saturday is a Rally for Marriage Equality at Drew University. Email Rachel at rosenb24 if you are interested.

The Meeting:

Michelle lead a discussion about Homosexuality and the Bible, both Old and New Testaments.

We read from Genesis 19, Judges 19.22, Leviticus 20.13 and 18.22, Romans 1.23-27, 1 Corinthians 6.9-10, and 1 Timothy 1.10.

To understand the Bible fully, we learned that (1) it was written in a time when women were property, (2) the Bible is translated from 3 languages, one of which is extinct, and (3) that it must be looked at in context of the time.

The Bible talks about how non-procreative sex and sexual harassment are bad. It does not say that loving same sex relationships are wrong. The term homosexuality was not created until the 19th century A.D. and it would have been out of the realm of people writing the Bible to say that homosexuality should be illegal or that homosexual people should be killed.

We listened to a satirical essay about Leviticus 18.22 called "Why Can't I own a Canadian?" It can be found at http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html

Michelle believes it is time to take back the Bible. It does not say homosexuality is wrong. People who use the Bible against gay marriage should not be able to pick and choose which standards they live by or what they say is wrong.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about what we discussed, feel free to email with any questions or concerns.

Icebreaker:
We went outside for A Cold Wind Blows! Then we went around and introduced ourselves.

Announcements:
--Saturday, 11:30: Picnic behind ABE, by the lake! Bring a blanket, if you have one, and if you want Rachel to bring food, RSVP on the Facebook! If it's raining or bad weather, a cancellation notice will be sent out.
--Thursday, March 26: Clubbing at The Den in New Brunswick, 9:00 pm 'til everyone wants to leave. Meet in the Stud at 8:30! Facebook event--RSVP if possible!
--Cardboard Boat Regatta is coming up! You build aboat out of cardboard and race it on the lake! There's a whole bunch of prizes for design, for the best sinking, etc.
--Next Wed, 9:00 pm to around 11, here in the PRISM Center. PRISM Passion Party fundraiser! Bring everyone you can convince to come. (This is about intimate things--massage things, lotions, toys, etc.)
--Drag Show: Sign-ups to perform--there will be a sign-up in the PRISM Center, or you can contact Rahool (dave6@tcnj.edu) ASAP!
--Globalpalooza! PRISM is working with other campus organizations in this big, CUB-sponsored event in the Student Center onf Sunday, April 5th. Look out for sign-ups to help with cooking, coming soon! Our country is BRAZIL.
--April 4th, 2 pm: LGBT Rally at Drew University. Drivers needed! It's a couple hour drive. (Bear in mind this is Accepted Student
--Relay for Life: April 3rd. The more people there are on the time, the less you have to walk!
--For all three of the above, if you're interested contact Rachel (rosenb24@tcnj.edu) ASAP!

The Meeting:
We talked about campaigning with a special guest from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force!

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:
--Works on the ground to help campaigns be successful.
--HRC, GLSEN, P-Flag, GLAAD, Lambda Legal are all prominent GLBT advocacy organizations. The Task Force does a lot of the actual research and investment in the local organzations.
--The Departments:
--Movement Building Department: Works side-by-side with local, state-level rganizations, making sure they have the infrastructure and funding to ensure they grow properly.
--PI Department: Focused on public policy. Doing research, partciularly censusing and research into why campaigns are won or lost.
--ONE grassroots campaign for GLBT marriage equality has been won--MA
--Organizing and Training: Sent to where there's a difference to be made, when it comes to winning and losing.
--Gainseville, FL: Legislation passed specifically targeting transgendered people. Fighting against that.
--Prop 8 in CA
--NJ and Maine are also hotspots right now
--Organizing principles of the Task Force:
--Measurable results are key--counting everything.
--The floor (bare minimum) vs. the ceiling in terms of GLBT rights. Marriage is the floor, but it's the key issue, so it has to be fought.

Challenges to LGBT Campaigns:
--Money
--Getting people more actvely involved, both LGBT activists and straight allies

Failure of the Prop 8 Campaign:
--Black people? No, it was the seniors that voted overwhelmingly for the Proposition
--Messaging: How do you counter "If you approve gay marriage, the gays will tech gay things to your childrens in school."? New messages are the trick--talking about faith, kids, parents, and educators in different way.

The Campaign in Jersey:
--Targeting six of the legislators in NJ. Three of the six must flip and vote for it.
--Grassroots and grasstops strategies in use.
--Grassroots: Volume. Show them the people in their districts want them to vote for this legislature and approve of them supporting it.
--Grasstops: Get to know everyone in their lives and make sure they're surrounded by support for this, both professionally and personally. They're getting targeted by the opposition as well; why can't we?
--2009 is the golden year in NJ. We have to get it passed while Corzine's in office, because he's willing to sign it.
--How we can help:
--Postcarding or phonebanking: Dani (909) 561-3738 She's with Garden State Equality, and will teach us what to say and how to say it, and it will be done with people who've done it before. If you're interested in signing up, call her ASAP.
--The training happens right before you start helping. We might have her come to TCNJ
--Summer Fellowship: Work with campaigns; offices in NY, DC, and Los Angeles. Application deadline is March 30, so do it ASAP. (Mention Trina coming to our meeting, and Michelle Stecker as a reference.)
--LGBT Power Summit in May: In three days, the Task Force teaches us what they know about campaigning! It's hands-on; we'll actually go out door-to-door in Maine. They'll caucus with a counselor about strategizing for New Jersey, specifically. They'll talk about outreacher--pulling new people in.
--Talk to Heather (lemley2@tcnj.edu) if you're interested in going.

For more information, or if you're interested in helping, contact:
Trina Olson, Work Cell: (202) 631-5163

03/05/09

The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Thursday, March 5, 2009, in three cases challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8 (Ban on Same Sex Marriage) , a statewide ballot initiative that was passed by a majority of California voters in November 2008.

California Supreme Court Oral Arguments - 03/05/09
TOPIC: Proposition 8 - Same Sex Marriage
CASE: (13) Strauss et al. v. Horton (Hollingsworth et al., Interveners)
(and two other cases, S168066 Tyler et al. v. State of California et al.
(Hollingsworth et al., Interveners) and S168078 City and County of
San Francisco et al. v. Horton (Hollingsworth et al., Interveners))

The court issued an order to show cause in Strauss, Tyler, and City and
County of San Francisco directing the parties to brief and argue the
following issues: (1) Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a
revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution?
(See Cal. Const., art. XVIII, §§ 1–4.) (2) Does Proposition 8 violate the
separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution? (3)
If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the
marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of
Proposition 8?

Watch the video here:
Calchannel.com

Icebreaker: Big Booty!

Announcements:
--Sexual Assualt Awareness Month is in April! Events PRISM is co-sponsoring are on the calendar! Please come to them, including Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes!
--Presentation outside the Stud--stand for half an hour wearing a statistic on Apr 16th! A sign-up went around. Interested? E-mail Anne at smolen3@tcnj.edu
--Drag Show: Interested in performing this year? Get in touch with Rahool (dave6@tcnj.edu)--there's also an information sheet available in the PRISM Center!
--Michelle Stecker is going to co-advise PRISM with Michael!
--Fundraiser: March 25th, 9 pm, down here in the PRISM Center. We're having a Passion Party, which is like a Tupperware party for intimate toys~ Bring a friend!
--NDOS Questionnaires: Completely anonymous, unless you choose to provide a name, so please don't hesitate if you want to fill it out!
--FYI: Queer Month is happening, next semester, and we're almost definitely going to be hosting the Good Asian Drivers! Keep your ears open for coming news!
--If there are any professors or professionals you know who are supportive of the queer community and may be interested in speaking at Queer Month events, please let Liz Ehret know at ehret6@tcnj.edu ASAP!

Meeting:
Coming out over time. We looked at a bunch of advertisements from the early 1800s to contemporary times in groups, discussing the changes we saw in them.
--Lots of naked people, especially in the later ones
--Ads became less wordy and more image-driven as time progresses.
--Industrial revolution: Printing becoming increasingly more complex.
--First corset ad: Just the corset, and the angels give it an pure, angelic feeling. The second ad had a woman, and appeals to more to men? They'll be more likely to let their wife spend money on it.
--The 20s are when they start actually showing attractive women's bodies.
--Development of etiquette and protocol: Up until the 20s in America, showing your ankle to a man was an invitation for sex.
--Lysol: A feminine product--and an abortive.
--World War II: Women very derided, even in the ads supporting their work.
--More sexually explicit material in ads in the 60s and 70s. "Buy our dress, and the boss will have sex with you!" Start seeing women in these images showing a lot of skin--bikinis, legs, arms and shoulders.
--Objectification of women--using their bodies to sell things.
--United Colors of Benetton: First ad (in the 90s) to feature gays. It was part of a shock campaign to revitlatize a failing company.
--Dolce and Gabana, Emanuel Ungaro, Armani: Explicitly sexual ads selling things, both women....and men (D&G). No human contact in the D&G ad, but it's been banned in a lot of countries.
--Candies: Immensely sexual ads. So much so, the campaign was changed from shoes to fragrances.
--Budweiser ads: Ad with men: guys are clothed, obviously hanging out. Ad is part of a campaign directed towards the gay demographic...and not explicitly sexual, as opposed to the naked woman covered in bottlecaps.
--Woman is completely naked, Budweiser only on the bottlecaps and hard to see.
--With the men: Half covered by the words/logos. "Not manly enough to sell beer."
--The Deisel ad: Sell cologne. Makes a mockery of the idea that two men could like each other, because both are ugly and gross, and one is trying to kiss the oher while the other/bystanders look on with disgust.
--"Our cologne is SO GOOD that people will pursue you even if you're revolting."
--The British ad campaign for shoes, Patrick Cox: Two naked men "wrestling"--in very close, intimate contact. Butt there's still a woman in it, wearing the shoes in question.

Overall: SEX SELLS. Duh. Gay sex, however, does not. Used for shock, hidden, or displayed as disgusting.
--A myth that gay people have soooo muuuch moneyyyy. Which is not entirely true, though they are a legitimate buyer's market and an important demographic.
--Companies choose to exclude homosexuals, because they "don't matter"--so small a part of the population.
--The queer community hasn't exerted their power yet as a group of consumers.

Abercrombie and Fitch: Hot men in underwear standing outside the stores, not allowed to do anything but model. What is that about?

Companies:
--Exxon Mobil is totally anti-gay; no rights at all for their employees. Chik-Fil-A as well.
--Levi-Strauss, Apple, Google. Subaru. Barnes and Noble. All these support gay rights campaigns and offer rights for their gay workers. Support them in turn!
--Even small, mom-and-pop places and can be pro- or anti-gay. Be aware of where you're buying from!

Heather gave a tour of our re-arranged PRISM Center! There are a lot of resources available of members, including old issues of The Advocate and arts and crafts supplies! There's also a history center!

Announcement:
Upcoming event next semester--Queer Month! Kicked off with Coming Out Monologues, tied up with AIDS Week. We're looking for ideas for events! Please contact Liz [EMAIL] if you have something you'd like us to do! Seriously, we're looking for anything, we want this to be a big deal!
Some ideas:
--Living and Loving with AIDS discussion forum
--A performance by Good Asian Drivers
--Movie nights! New, recognizable, not-RENT movies
Relay for Life: A cancer awareness event! PRISM has a team, but we'd like more people to participate, because we need someone to walk at all moments. There's a $10 registration fee. Email Rachel [EMIAL]
Marriage Equality Campaign in New Jersey: Postcards to fill out and send in to legislators! They were handed out in the meeting, but will be available in the PRISM center if you'd like to come and get a few! Fill out the whole page and then cut it into three separate postcards and send them off!
--The task force training seminar thing in April--if you'd like to be involved, please e-mail Michelle Stecker [EMAIL].
Drag Show Auditions and Info Session: Wednesday, March 4, 12:30, in the PRISM Center. For people interested in performing! If you have any idea what you want to do or any materials prepared, please bring them!
--Next Wednesday, 7:00-8:30 pm. Judy Sheperd--Matthew Sheperd's mother--is speaking at Drew University and PRISM would like to go. If you're interested, please contact Rachel at [EMAIL].

QUEER WEDDING:
Tomorrow at 8 PM in the Allen Drawing Room. Be there!
Decorating: Meet at the PRISM center between 6:00 and 6:30! We need a lot of help, please come out!

Icebreaker: Name, major, favorite color!

Today's Meeting:
Gay marriage legislation around the world! We broke up into groups and looked at some of the different countries around the world, and then came together and discussed what we read.
--Spain is very progressive! Yay Spain!
--There is flogging and labor camps in Angola for people who are convicted. Zimbabwe is bad too, with males facing 10 years in jail and police brutality.
--Oppression of women and oppression of homosexuals goes hand in hand.
--Nepal: They're trying! A strange contradiction--gay marriage is okay, but sodomy is illegal. So you can be in a relationship, but can't consummate it.
--India: Still under British law. You can't be gay, and lesbians just don't exist.
--Jamaica is incredibly homophobic, with even things like popular culture embracing brutality against homosexuals. Bear in mind the Rastafarian culture is still alive and well--and women are considered property there.
--Tourism has given Jamaica a very positive image. It's a happy, loving place!
--Iraq: Back and forth. Legal, illegal, then "legal" again after Hussein, but homosexuals still killed.
--United Arab Emirates: People convicted of sodomy should be cured with hormone treatments. Fantastic.
--Iran: Transsexuality is okay, but homoesexuality is not. Enforcing heteronormativity--it's better to look/act like a straight couple than not.
--SWEDEN IS AWESOME. They're getting gay marriage in May!

The first written injunction against homosexuality is in Leviticus. (Maybe?)

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:
--Sean Penn won Best Actor at the Oscars for his role in Milk. We watched his speech, because it was an awesome speech. Then we went and watched Dustin Lewis Black's, too, who won for Best Original Screenplay, also for Milk.