Actual endorsements will not be made until next week, when all CLAGA members who were present at last night's meeting will vote on which candidates to support. Members who did not attend the first meeting will be able to discuss the candidates, but not vote on the endorsees.

"We want people to have some idea of what each candidate stands for before they vote," Phillips explained.

Under Cambridge's Hare Proportional System of voting, a candidate needs about 10,000 votes to be elected, and Russell predicted that out of the 7000 members of the local gay community, about 2000 would actually be at the polls on Election Day.

Clout

He added that in the past, city councilors have won elections by margins of as few as seven voters. "We will be a factor, although I don't know how great because we're a new group," he said.

"We got a good turnout tonight," Russell continued. "I've never seen this many of us together other than for dancing purposes."

And Phillips voiced optimism about the group's potential. "We're going to make an impact with the lesbian and gay vote in this town," she said.