The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Ally Alliance is the self-described “largest and most visible LGBT organization in Ames.”

Tonight, the LGBTAA meeting will be concerned with restructuring the organization.

“In our Wednesday meeting, we will basically be asking people ‘What is it that you are looking for that the Alliance does not provide?'” said Jason Gross, vice president of LGBTAA and a senior in community and regional planning.

Gross said Nominal Group Process will be the discussion method used by the Alliance during the meeting.

“It is commonly used to help community organizations set goals and objectives,” Gross said. “We hope LGBT students will feel free to come and explain what they feel the Alliance needs to be doing, and offer them help in getting those things done.”

Angie Chipman, president of the Alliance and a sophomore in psychology, said she hopes the meeting will turn into a more political discussion.

Chipman said she would like the Alliance to become more politically outspoken on campus.

Chipman noted the official Alliance mission statement includes the phrase, “[to] act as the political focus on issues that affect the LGBT members of the community.”

“[Alliance meetings] are educational as well as fun,” Chipman said. “We’d like to see the number of allies increase.”

Chipman said there are different levels in being an ally. For a person to be an ally, just simply being tolerant of the LGBT community is not enough. Allies, Chipman said, should be supportive as well.

Chipman, who is leaving Iowa State next semester to start her National Guard basic training, said she would like the Alliance to vote on a new president this week.

Chipman said two scenarios have been discussed by the Alliance in choosing the next president.

The first is that a temporary president would take Chipman’s place until she returns for the fall semester of ’98. The second would be selecting a long-term president.

“Both [ideas] have been mentioned,” Chipman said. “The ball has been thrown in both courts. In order to [be an effective and outspoken] president, you have to be really out, and a lot of our [Alliance] turnout is not really out.”

The new president should be someone who really cares about the Alliance, Chipman said. “[Being president] requires a lot of time, and some of our presidents in the past have been involved in many other activities,” she said.

Chipman said making the Alliance more visible and active in the community was one of her personal goals.

She said many other members of the Alliance cabinet are also leaving next year, including Gross. She said Alliance visibility and the departure of cabinet members are some of the issues that will be addressed at the meeting.

Both Gross and Chipman said they hope to dispel some misconceptions surrounding the Alliance.

Chipman said the Alliance has been saddled with a “white male meat-market” stereotype, and some students think the Alliance is cliquish.

Chipman is one of only two female members on the Alliance cabinet. She said when she first started attending meetings last year, women made up only 25 percent of the total attendance.

“We especially want bisexual, lesbian and transgender students to attend and tell us what we need to do,” Gross said.

“Many lesbians, bisexuals and transgender students feel the Alliance is not for them. We want to change that.”

Chipman said even if the group loses some momentum in all the coming changes, she believes the organization will rebound from any problems.

“If [the Alliance] went up this fast, it can go up again,” Chipman said. “It will take a positive leader to do it.”

Today’s “restructuring meeting,” like all LGBTAA meetings, will be held at 7 p.m. in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union.