UCLA SCME

SCME 2009-2010

2009-09-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, SCME is about to kick-off its new year. Stay tuned for updates!

2008-09-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hello to all you beautiful marriage equality supporters,

My name is Raffi, incoming President of SCME at UCLA, and with this update I'd like to officially kick-off SCME's 5th year at UCLA... and what an exciting year it's shaping up to be!

First off, I wanted to thank everyone involved and supportive for making last year our most successful year yet with great confidence that it follows through to keep SCME as vibrant as ever and keep our hard-won victory in May legal.

ALOT has transpired in the past few months and much, much more will happen in the coming months before and after the election. You can count on SCME to bring you the latest on what's going on with the ballot initiative (Proposition 8), the campaign (NO on 8, Equality for All), SCME news and events, and all other UCLA campus events encompassing LGBT and same-sex marriage rights as the interest in banding together to fight against Proposition 8 is mighty high among alot of other clubs on campus

Since this is our first update all through summer, it is going to be jam-packed with updates, news, and important as well as entertaining info. So, please bear with me as I'm sure you'll want to find out the latest on...

1. Update on Proposition 8 and Political News:
~Polls, money raised, what the ballot will look like
~NO on 8 campaign and volunteering
~Other CA LGBT legislation
~Obama and Schwartzennegar support NO on 8!
2. SCME club and event updates
3. Gay Politics at the MOVIES
4. NO on 8 Video Project Looking for openly gay high-school athletes

1. Proposition 8 and Political News

As you all may have undoubtedly heard by now, our victory in May was only the beginning. The opposition, anticipating a victory for same-sex marriage, was out preparing to put an initiative on the California November ballot to amend the state constitution banning same-sex marriage in California. The initiative will indeed appear on the ballot and here is exactly what it will look like...

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Proposition 8
ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY.
INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Fiscal Impact: Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.

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The opposition tried to file an appeal to change the title and wording (particularly "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry" but a Sacramento County Superior Court Judge upheld the title and language of the proposition and so it will explicitly state what the Proposition will do.

The most recent poll, taken just before Labor Day Weekend, indicates that a majority of likely voters, 54%, oppose ending gay marriage, compared to 40% who support it. So, it seems the numbers are on our side, but polls can only tell us so much and the campaign firmly believes there is much more work to be done.

Money, money, money!!! According to records at the Secretary of State's office, as of last week supporters of Prop 8 have raised $11.9 million while we, the opponents, have raised $11.6 million. Many believe these numbers could rise to $20 million by election day. And the ads are only about to start!

So, what can you do to ensure that we win the battle to keep same-sex marriage legal? Educate, donate, and volunteer. It's important to let people know why it's important to vote for Proposition 8 and vote NO. Tell friends and family not to just check Obama or McCain on the ballot but to look down and consider what civil rights the religious right wants to take away from us. The campaign will always need monetary support to fight the opposition but what they also need, which is equally valuable, is your time. Volunteering for the campaign primarily entails phone-banking and talking to swing voters and such, trying to educate them on the facts and the stakes.

For those who may not know, the official campaign against Prop 8 is the "NO on Prop 8, Equality for All" campaign. The following small blurb should give you a better idea of who they are: What began as Equality for All, today is the NO on 8, Equality for All campaign. This campaign includes LGBT community organizations and leaders and our allies, including civil rights organizations, faith leaders and groups, choice organizations, organized labor and community of color organizations. To find out more (news, events, stories) and/or to donate $$ to the campaign, feel free to visit their website: NO on Prop 8 . To find out more about volunteering, just contact me (reply to this email or call me) and I will connect you with the right people.

What else is going on in Sacramento? Well, while all the hoopla is mainly surrounding the freedom to marry, over summer 5 pieces of pro-LGBT legislation have passed through the state and await the Governor's signature to be passed into state law. These bills are listed as follows:
>Harvey Milk Day (AB2567)
>Civil Rights Act of 2008 (AB2654)
>LGBT Senior Care Training (SB1729)
>Foster Youth School Safety (AB3015)
>Housing Co-Ownership (SB153)

For more information on each of these bills and to join in the campaign to urge Governor Ahnuld to sign these bills, visit Equality California .

In other good news, both Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican CA Governor, Arnold Schwarzennegar have voiced opinions about supporting the NO on 8 campaign to DEFEAT Proposition 8 and keep marriages in California legal. Here is a short clip of Arnold's support: Go Arnold! And while you're at it, check out this great site that lists and gives info about Republicans Against Prop 8 .

In much sadder news, though, this summer saw the passing of iconic civil rights and LGBT leader, Del Martin. Read more about her here .

2. SCME Club and Events Update

SCME is officially up and running for the 2008-2009 academic year. Although UCLA's fall quarter does not start for another 2 weeks and some change, SCME, like several other organizations on campus, feel the pressure of the November Election and has started to organize and plan to mobilize the campus to get out there, vote, and support the freedom to marry!

Look for us at the Bruin Bash Activities Fair on Monday, September 22nd (zero week). And, by all mean, stop by our general meetings this fall. They will be jam-packed with activities, updates, planning, and movies!! Meetings in the fall will be Wednesdays, 6 pm @ Haines A76 starting October 1st.

Also, there are still 2 board positions available for the incoming year: Activities Director and Director of Current/Political Events. If anyone is interested in either position, please contact me directly or reply to this email. Last year, we had 2 board positions filled mid-fall and they're back for year 2, so it's never too late to sign up.

And if you haven't already, please join our facebook group: SCME Global .
While you're at it, join the facebook group for NO on 8 .

3. At the Movies!!

I'm excited to announce that several films have popped up recently that deal directly with LGBT, civil rights, and marriage issues and I have only heard positive things about them. The first is a GREAT documentary called For the Bible Tells Me So. It was released last year and "examines the ways in which conservative Christian groups have used -- and sometimes exploited -- holy Scripture to deny basic human rights to gays and lesbians around the world." Highly recommended from critics, friends, and even our board members. Definitely check it out!

The second film is called Saving Marriage and it's a film that I saw at OUTfest 2 years ago. It chronicles the battle for marriage equality in Massachusetts 2004 and it packs an INCREDIBLE emotional punch. I've been trying to get a hold of a theatrical or DVD release date for years now and it seems it's coming to L.A. on October 17. Be sure to check it out.

Finally, being a big movie buff and an even bigger Oscar buff myself, I've been following the progress of MILK, what many insiders consider to be one of this year's top contenders for Oscar. It's a feature film by director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person ever elected to office and his consequential assassination and has an all-star cast including Sean Penn, James Franco, and Josh Brolin.

Well, they actually just released the trailer last week and I must say, without bias, it's the best made trailer I have seen all year. It nearly brought me to tears. Click to watch the trailer! With a release date in late November, we might make an SCME movie night out if it. Stay tuned. And also, if you're interested, there was a documentary made on the same subject, titled The Times of Harvey Milk, which WON the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1984.

4. Do you know any openly gay high-school athletes?

Well, there is a video project for No on 8 which is looking for openly gay high-school athletes and it could be a great resource for the campaign. Here is the forwarded press release:

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Director Scott Bloom of Tragoidia Moving Pictures (www.tragoidia.com) is now in pre production for his next feature documentary tentatively titled, "The Best Year of Their Lives". The film's focus is on Openly Gay High School Athletes and will follow them through their Senior year in High School. Utilizing footage shot by our cameras and video diaries kept throughout the year by our subjects, we hope to show the world a new generation of courage in the most homophobic place on a high school campus: the locker room.

We are interested in speaking to athletes who play team sports, individual sports or any combination thereof. We would most like to find young men and women who are out to their teammates, friends and family but we are also hoping to speak to athletes who are still struggling in the closet (identities will be kept confidential) because we would like to be able to present a balanced view of High School sports and beyond. Students who have aspirations to use their athletic abilities to go on to college (via scholarship) and perhaps into professional sports are of great interest as well.

All students wishing to be considered should respond via email with a short introductory letter to:

Scott Bloom
Tragoidia Moving Pictures
Tragoidia@aol.com
Phone 818-915-0868

All submissions will be kept confidential and all will be carefully considered.

We look forward to hearing from you.
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Well, that does it for our first weekly update. Additional (non-SCME related) forwarded messaged and opportunities are listed below. Questions, comments, inquiries can be referred to me directly or replied to this email.

We have an extraordinary journey ahead of us and this is going to be a year we won't forget. I hope you all join and support us in making history and, once again, giving students a voice.

Stay tuned and have a great week! =D

Raffi

VICTORY!

2008-05-18T14:37:00.001-07:00

Great news everyone!

The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAGAVNC5K.DTL

We were all a part of making this happen, so let's celebrate this amazing victory for equal rights! Of course, there is more work to be done, as the Equality for All Campaign continues to prepare to fight a very likely anti-marriage equality constitutional amendment in the November ballot. But for now let's celebrate LEGAL SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA!

Week 7: Time to Welcome the New Board, Thanks for a Great Year!

2008-05-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It's that time of year, when we kick out the old and welcome the new! Well, sort of. Beginning next week, the new board will take over running meetings and leading the club in the right direction. Some are old and some are new, but the 08-09 SCME Board is amazing all around. Please welcome:

President: Raffi Sarkissian
External Vice President: Kathleen Quach
Internal Vice President: Amanda Hall
Finance Director: Jordan Galindo
Publicity Director: Trevor Takahashi

Of course, we still have two open positions for those who are interested, Activities Director and Political Events Updater. Reply to this email for more information or if you're interested.

Tonight at our meeting we'll watch this week's episode of ABC's Brothers and Sisters, which featured a lovely same-sex wedding! Let's celebrate seeing our issue in the mainstream media! We'll also talk more about what next year is going to look like for SCME.

This will be the last email from me, as next week Raffi will take over. I want to thank everyone for a great year and all of your love and support. You all made this year the best year ever, and I'm just honored to have been a part of it. Outgoing Internal Vice President Francesca Chang will be graduating with me this year, and outgoing External Vice President Nick McColl will be stepping down from the board and continuing as a general member next year. Wish us luck! I'll miss you!

See you all tonight, Wednesday at 6pm in Haines A28!

--
Rachel Zwass
President- Student Coalition for Marriage Equality

Week 6: Board Positions and Wedding Pics

2008-05-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late email this week! Tonight's going to be a fun night, and we're expecting new people so we're very excited! We'll play some icebreaker games to loosen everyone up, then onto political updates, and a slideshow of all the amazing wedding pictures! We'll also talk about our fun social plans for this weekend-- bowling! (make sure you're on the facebook group to get all the details on that) If we get the time we'll also watch everyone's favorite show, Sex and the City (because that's a show that's always relevant!).

An update on the open board positions: We have three open positions-- Activities Director, Publicity Director, and Events Updater. If you are interested in applying for a board position, please respond to this email with a little bit of information about yourself and we'll go from there!

Also, don't forget to vote this week in the USAC elections!

See you all tonight, Wednesday 6pm in Haines A28!

Week 5: Board Positions for Next Year and a Fun Movie!

2008-04-29T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

I know it's that midterm time again, so come to the meeting this week for some fun and relaxation-- and some important announcements.

We'll be discussing open board positions for next year. Three of this year's board members will be returning, which leaves 4 openings! Being on SCME's board means the opportunity to set the agenda for the year, be involved in all of the planning, and lots of fun and hard work. Even if you haven't been able to participate in the club this year as much as you would have liked, or SCME is brand new to you, if you're interested in making the commitment to fight for LGBT rights and educate our campus, come to the meeting this week for find out more information. Two of this year's board members came to their very first SCME meeting just this fall and jumped right in! At the meeting this week we'll talk more about what it means to be on the SCME board, what positions are available and how to apply.

After we take care of business, we'll start watching a fun movie Kissing Jessica Stein! You can see the trailer here http://youtube.com/watch?v=XkmY1RrNP-I It's time for us to hang out after all the work we've been doing!

Before we get to the movie, we'll also play icebreaker games, get some political updates, and talk about the plans for the rest of the quarter (and get your opinions), so don't miss out! See you all Wednesday, 6pm in Haines A28!

Week 4: Congrats and Let's Celebrate!

2008-04-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Congratulations everyone on a beautiful and amazing wedding! Maybe I'm a little biased, but I thought it was the most beautiful wedding yet. Everything was absolutely perfect, and we had a great crowd taking it all in. There were definitely over 200 people there, with many more passing by or stopping for just a couple minutes, and that's an amazing feat. And on top of all that, we made front page of the Daily Bruin on Monday!

This week's meeting will be a social gathering instead of a meeting! We deserve to reward ourselves, so instead of having a meeting, we're going to celebrate our success at Brew Co in Westwood. Everyone should meet at 8pm at the Bruin Bear on campus so that we can all walk down together. If you miss us at the Bear, or you know you're going to run late, you can just meet us at Brew Co (for those who don't know it's at 1097 Glendon Ave in Westwood). And yes, Brew Co is a bar, but they also have a full menu and they don't start carding at the door until 10pm, so you can join even if you're not 21 yet.

There are a lot of new people on the mailing list this week, and I encourage you to come with us to Brew Co even if this is your first meeting and have some fun! We don't bite-- often... If you took pictures at the wedding, can you please put them on a CD (even if you post them on facebook) and bring them with you on Wednesday? We want to get a photo album together, and also use some of the best pics for thank you gifts for our couple and speakers.

An update on Equality for All: The opposition has officially turned in their signatures to be verified, so now we're waiting to see if they actually got enough to get the Limits on Marriage on the ballot, which could take up to a month. Equality for All is gearing up for a campaign to combat the legislation in case it does make it, so we'll keep you updated on that and in the meantime you can visit http://equalityforall.com/ for ways to get involved.

There are a few more great things in this email (including volunteering at the GLAAD Media Awards!), so please read on! See you all at this week's special time and place, Wednesday, 8pm at the Bruin Bear to head over to Brew Co for a night of celebration!

Week 3: The Time Is Now--For the WEDDING

2008-04-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!

It's wedding time!!! We have just 4 days until the big wedding and there's a lot to do. We want to paint the school purple with all our BE THERE publicity! Here's how you can help:
1. Flyering! The more people we have on Bruinwalk handing out flyers, the more noticeable we are and the more people we can reach. We're out there from 10am-2pm every day this week, so come on out, pick up some flyers, and start passing them out.
2. T-shirts: Wear your t-shirts every day this week! If you don't have one, buy one. The t-shirts look great and they're amazing publicity, but only if we all wear them!
3. Class announcements: Make announcements in all your classes now! If you can get flyers to hand out to your classes first, that's ideal, but don't wait for flyers and then miss your chance. You can get flyers from us when we're out on Bruinwalk, or you can contact me and we'll figure it out. And of course, you'll be wearing your t-shirts anyway! Class announcements are one of the most effective ways to get the word out because everyone is sitting still in a room and they have to listen!
4. Chalking: We'll be chalking in the major lecture halls again this Thursday morning. Meet in Kerkchoff coffee house at 7am on Thursday and we'll go from there.
5. Invite your friends! Invite all your friends on facebook to the BE THERE event, and make sure you tell all your friends in the real world about the wedding too. And don't just mention it, bring them with you on Friday!

We also need help setting everything up for the wedding. In the meeting on Wednesday we'll continue making party favors and other decorations for the wedding. And of course, we need help on the day of the wedding. Set up begins at 7am, and rumor is there will be breakfast provided! Everything needs to be set up by 11am so that we can spend the last hour seating people. In addition to setting up decorations, we'll also need people to flyer all morning and make sure people are showing up, so we absolutely cannot have too many people! There are other rewards for helping, but you have to show up to find out what they are!

Above all, the most important thing is to come to the wedding! It's worth missing one class for, it's worth taking a long lunch for, and it's worth rolling out of bed for! If you've been to one of our weddings before, you know how amazing this will be, and if you've never been, this may be your last chance-- and with incoming Mayor of West Hollywood Jeffrey Prang as our speaker and our wonderful couple Francis and Yesenia, it's going to be the best wedding yet!

BE THERE at the meeting this Wednesday, 6pm in Haines A28 and BE THERE this Friday at Noon in Bruin Plaza for the 4th Annual Same-sex Wedding Event!

Week 2: Party favor making, more EFA, and FLYERING

2008-04-07T18:10:00.001-07:00

Hey hey everybody!

We're well on our way with the wedding! A bunch of us went shopping over the weekend, so we have almost all the supplies we need to make this thing happen (two weeks in advance, I KNOW!). That means that this week we can get started with constructing everything we'll need the day of, starting with the party favors.

This week also starts the publicity blitz! The board got up super early this morning and chalked 15 or 20 lecture halls throughout North and South campuses, and tomorrow we start flyering! I have the flyering schedule attached, so check it out to see when you can come on out and help. We'll be out there every day from 10am-2pm on Bruinwalk. Please respond to this email to let me know what times you'll be out there so I can add you into the schedule, but if you're not that much of a planner you can also just show up and start flyering! Remember to wear your BE THERE shirts if you have them-- and if you don't, get one! I still have a lot of unclaimed (and unpaid for!) t-shirts. You can give me $10 and I'll give you a shirt at the meeting, or if you can't come to the meeting, respond to this email and we'll work out a time for you to get it. This week everyone will wear their shirts Tuesday and Wednesday even if you're not flyering to help spread the word.

We're going to do another shift for Equality for All this weekend on Sunday from 9:30 to 2:30 in Burbank, and of course we'll be carpooling. If you couldn't come out last weekend, now's your chance! EFA really does need the volunteers, and to be honest, we're way better at getting pledges than they are! Respond to this email to let me know if you're coming.

See everyone this week at the meeting, Wednesday at 6pm in Haines A28! We'll be making party favors (bring hole punchers if you have them) and watching some very interesting clips of Representative Sally Kern's recent anti-gay remarks while we work.

BE THERE

2008-04-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Spring break is over and it's back to business time! 3 weeks and counting until the wedding, so it's time to put all our planning into action. We also have the Equality for All campaign going on, so read on for details.

At this week's meeting, we'll spend most of our time going over our big "BE THERE" publicity blitz. We'll have a flyering schedule ready for sign-ups, talk about other ways we plan to get the word out, and oh yeah-- we'll pass out t-shirts! The t-shirts are here and they look amazing, so bring $10 to the meeting and I'll hand over your shirt. We have plenty, so even if you didn't order one, or if you want more than one, you'll be able to pick 'em up at the meeting. We'll also come up with our shopping/pricing list for this weekend. Anyone who wants to join us to shop for wedding supplies on Saturday morning can reply to this email or just come to the meeting and tell us there.

This weekend we will also definitely be doing a shift for Equality for All this weekend, from 1-6pm in Burbank. Like I explained in the last email, this campaign is extremely important for stopping the Limits on Marriage petition, and as the most active student group in the state, we should be out there! I've posted the information from the last email on the club website, so if you missed it you can read it there. We'll carpool this Saturday, so it will be a whole group of us together at the same site. You are welcome to sign up for as many shifts as you can, so if you're interested in doing more, just let me know and I'll set it up.

So I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow for our first meeting of the quarter, same time but new place at 6pm in Haines A28. It's very important that everyone be there for these three weeks leading up to the wedding, so don't miss out!

Equality for All

2008-04-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone's had a great spring break. Before everyone heads back to school, I wanted to let you all know about the Equality for All campaign. Right now anti-marriage equality groups have paid signature gatherers working hard to get enough signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to permanently ban same-sex marriage in California. These paid signature gatherers can be very sneaky, and sometimes outright lie about the legislation on their clipboards because they get paid by the signature. Some tricks include rubber banding the pages after the signature page that have the actual legislation on them, or making it seem like you're signing for a pro-marriage equality bill when it's just the opposite. So let's be very clear, this piece of legislation, called the Limits on Marriage, is absolutely an anti-gay rights initiative. There are no other "marriage" petitions out there right now, so don't be fooled. Paid signature gatherers are generally found outside of grocery stores, or other stores like Walmart or Target. If you feel like you really want to sign a petition for some other piece of legislation, just be very careful about what you're signing.

WHAT YOU CAN DO-- WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! The Equality for All campaign is combating this petition by organizing shifts of volunteers to go to the sites where we know paid signature gatherers are working. We do not approach the gatherers, but instead we intercept them and tell people about the legislation and ask them to sign OUR petitions, for the Decline to Sign Campaign. The opposition has until April 19 to collect all their signatures, and they are already about halfway to their goal. Equality for All is making a huge impact in slowing them down-- in fact some paid signature gatherers have taken the Limits on Marriage petition off their clipboards because it is making it too much of a hassle to make their quota. To meet their goal, the opposition is planning on making a huge push in the beginning of April, so it's imperative that we get even more volunteers to fill shifts on the weekends. Remember, if this gets on the ballot and passes in November, it will permanently ban same-sex marriage in California. We have to fight this now to stop it from happening!

SCME will go to a shift in Pasadena or Burbank the weekend after first week (shift to be announced), so we invite you to join us. We can all carpool together, and we will work together so you don't have to be nervous. Even if you've never been to an SCME event before, it may be easier for you to get into it with fellow Bruins- plus we'll give you a ride! Reply to this email or call me (at the number below) if you're interested. I'll announce which shift(s) we'll be doing by this Monday.

You can (and I hope you will) volunteer for other shifts. They have morning and afternoon shifts on Saturday and morning shifts on Sunday in both Burbank and Pasadena every weekend until the signature gathering time is over. Equality for All also does phone banking to contact volunteers on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Silverlake. To sign up for a shift, you can email me with your phone number at scme.la@gmail.com or call me (650) 520-3644. You can also call one of the LA organizers, Kery, directly at (213) 568-5436.

Please pass on this information to everyone you know, even people who can't sign up for shifts. It is very important to make sure that people do not sign this discriminatory petition, but without the right information, it's easy to be mislead. Tell your friends and family before you come back to UCLA, and keep spreading the word once you're here. If you're no longer in the LA area, you can still contact me or Kery and we'll put you in touch with an organizer in your area. You can also visit http://www.equalityforall.com/ for more information.

Week 10: Planning Wrap-up

2008-03-11T21:48:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

I hope 10th week isn't coming down too hard on all of you! With papers and finals coming up, I know we're all feeling a bit swamped. We're still having a meeting this week though, and even if you can only come for a little bit, it's worth it!

We'll spend the first few minutes wrapping up all the planning we've been doing. We'll go over the next steps, what to expect when we come back next quarter, tell you the plans for the fundraiser, and give you some important dates. Even if you're busy this week, this update is a must!

But if you can spare the whole hour, we're going to be watching some of the oral arguments from the California Supreme Court case (for those of us who have missed it) and also watch some of the wedding video from last year to give you all an idea about what to expect this year. Also, a facebook bug told me it's someone's birthday tomorrow (Amanda!) so we'll have to celebrate that too!

T-shirt update: I've put in the t-shirt order, so they'll be here by the start of next quarter. Even if you didn't get a chance to put in your order before, I ordered plenty of extras. You can still buy one now for $10-- your first one, a second one to change into since we'll be wearing them so much, maybe one for your roommate who doesn't know how helpful they're going to be yet :-)

So don't miss out tomorrow, or we won't be seeing each other for another couple of weeks! See you all there at 6pm in Haines A76!

Week 8: Wedding Operations and T-shirts

2008-02-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

First order of business is wedding t-shirts! We're ordering t-shirts for us to wear while flyering and to generally publicize the wedding. They will be black with purple lettering (a la the vision of the flyer for those of you who were at last week's meeting). Honestly, they look great and I'm excited to get them. We found a great deal online, but the catch is we have to order them by this Tuesday. Please respond to this email (or just email scme.la@gmail.com) with your shirt size if you will wear one. Ordering a t-shirt means that you will wear it on a few specific days when we will all wear them for publicity, that you will wear it when/if you flyer, and that you will pay $7 (the cost to order) when you come pick it up from a meeting (or at some other arranged pick-up time if need be). I STRONGLY encourage you to buy a t-shirt! They are going to look great, and the more people that wear them, the more impact they have. All that I ask is if you order a t-shirt that you pay for it (since we will NOT be using club funding and I will be paying for them up front) and that you wear it... it's that easy! So get your orders in ASAP!

This week we'll continue our wedding planning with a meeting all about operations. That means we'll be deciding on decorations, food, and the reception. We'll start by breaking into groups and then come together so that we can make the most of our brainstorming time and make sure we hear all of your ideas! Also, we'll show the t-shirt design (after you've all ordered your shirts of course!) and the updated flyer design.

So I'll see you all this week at the meeting as always, Wednesday at 6pm in Haines A76, and I'll hear from you during the next 24 hours about t-shirt orders!

And we're still looking for a couple...

Winter Week 7: Let the Wedding Planning Begin! This Week-- Publicity

2008-02-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

We've been talking about it for awhile now, but this week will be the first official week of wedding planning! We're doing the planning a little differently this year, so instead of splitting into committees and working separately during the meetings, we'll work together on one topic during each meeting. This week we will plan out publicity and next week (week 8) we will plan out operations so that we can turn in a budget for contingency funding before the end of the quarter. In week 9 we'll work on a plan of attack for fundraising, and in week 10 we'll put it all together to make sure we're good to go when we get back from spring break. It sounds like a lot right now (and it is), but we have plenty of time and with a little help from everyone we'll put on the best wedding yet!

A quick word on the wedding: This year will be our fourth annual wedding ceremony on campus. We have decided to keep this tradition alive because the wedding event is the best possible representation of what SCME stands for. While we have branched out into some great new events, nothing reaches people on a personal level quite like the wedding. This year we want it bigger and better than ever before-- more people, more polish, more publicity!

What's the most important part of the wedding? THE COUPLE! We are still looking for a committed, same-sex couple to exchange vows in our beautiful wedding in Bruin Plaza on April 18! If you know anyone, particularly a couple somehow connected to the UCLA campus, please respond to this email to let me know.

See you all at the meeting tomorrow, Wednesday at 6pm in Haines A76! If you've never been to a meeting before, now is a great time to jump in. Oh and just to congratulate all your hard work one more time, we collected even more valentines for the governor on Valentine's Day when we were handing out buttons, putting us well over 1000 cards! One hitch in the plan-- for some reason if you put your return address on the card, the post office thought that was where you were sending it. If you get yours back, let us know and we can get another one out. And if you don't have one of our awesome buttons yet, come by the meeting and get one!

Winter Quarter: Meetings and Preview

2008-01-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

Meetings this quarter will be on WEDNESDAYS at 6pm in Haines A76. Same room and time, just on a different day!

This quarter we're putting on a great Valentine's event, keeping up with the primaries, and even beginning our wedding planning for the spring. Don't miss out!

If I Were President!

2007-11-15T23:36:00.000-08:00

Today's the day!

Stop by Bruin Plaza and show your support for LGBT rights.

We'll have 4 pieces of legislation for you to sign if YOU were President!

Plus we'll have info on all the top current Presidential candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties so you can catch up on all their stances on LGBT issues.

Take a stand and show your fellow Bruins that you support Equality!

Meeting Day and Time has Changed!

2007-10-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

The first meeting of the school year will be at our new time and place, this Thursday, October 4, in Haines A76 from 6-7pm

For the rest of the quarter, general meetings will be every Thursday from 6-7 pm in Haines A76! It's all the same great plans and lots of fun, just in a different time and place. Can't wait to see you all there@

Fall Meetings

2007-09-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Meetings for Fall Quarter will be weekly, held on Tuesdays at 8pm in the LGBT Resource Center (located in SAC). We *might* be changing this, so stay tuned!

Join us during first week, on October 2, for the first meeting of the year! We'll be doing introductions and talking about SCME's past, present, and future. We'll also get to know new members, and have some fun. Don't miss it!

Fall 2007

2007-09-20T15:33:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the official Student Coalition for Marriage Equality website! We should be updating it regularly to keep all members up to date. Also, check out the calendar section to check out meeting times and all of our events.