Bylaws

Bylaws of the Committee on Lesbian and Gay History

Article I: Name

Section 1: The name of this committee shall be Committee on Lesbian and Gay History.

Section 2: The abbreviation of this committee shall be CLGH.

Article II: Object

Section 1: The object of this Committee shall be to promote the study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and queer topics in the past and present by facilitating communication among scholars in a variety of disciplines working on a variety of cultures. It encourages the development of specialized courses in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and queer studies as well as the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and queer topics in general history courses; it supports local history archives and history projects; it coordinates activities with other professional caucuses and organizations; and it seeks to prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and queer historians.

Article III: Membership

Section 1: The membership of this Committee shall be open to all persons interested in the study of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and queer topics in the past and present.

Section 2: The annual dues shall be fixed by the membership based on the recommendations of the chairperson and the governing board. The annual dues shall be adjusted for income level. The annual dues shall be paid on or before January 1 of each year, and membership shall be valid for the calendar year.

Section 3: Lifetime membership shall be available to those persons willing to make an additional donation to the Committee. The amount of this donation shall be fixed by the membership based on the recommendations of the chairperson and the governing board.

Section 4: All members shall be eligible to vote for the chairperson and the members of the governing board, as well as on other business affairs submitted to them by the chairperson and the governing board.

Article IV: Officers

Section 1: The Committee shall be managed by a chairperson elected by the membership for a three-year term. The chairperson shall be responsible for the general supervision of the business affairs of the Committee.

Section 2: The chairperson shall be assisted by a six-member governing board elected by the membership for three-year terms. Two members of the governing board shall be elected annually.

Section 3: The chairperson may resign any time during his/her term by submitting his/her resignation in writing to the governing board. Upon acceptance of the resignation, the governing board shall hold special elections for a new chairperson for a new three-year term.

Section 4: Any member of the governing board may resign any time during his/her term by submitting his/her resignation in writing to the chairperson, who shall then submit it to the rest of the governing board. Upon acceptance of the resignation, the chairperson, in consultation with the rest of the governing board, shall hold special elections for a new member of the governing board to serve out the unexpired term of the resigning member.

Section 5: All elections, whether regular or special, for the chairperson or for members of the governing board shall be voted upon by the membership at large. The candidate or candidates with the largest number of votes out of the ballots returned shall be duly elected.

Section 6: The chairperson, in consultation with the governing board, shall appoint a treasurer to manage all financial aspects of the CLGH and to deliver a written budget report each year.

Section 7: The chairperson, in consultation with the governing board, shall appoint a secretary to manage all meetings and all aspects of membership for the CLGH. The secretary will deliver a written membership report each year.

Article V: Meetings

Section 1: The Committee shall hold an annual business meeting in January during the annual conference of the American Historical Association, of which the Committee is an affiliated organization.

Article VI: Committees

Section 1: The chairperson, in consultation with the governing board, shall appoint a three-member prize committee to award the following prizes:

The John Boswell Prize for an outstanding book on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and/or queer history published in English;

The Joan Nestle Prize for an outstanding paper on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and/or queer history completed in English by an undergraduate student;

The Audre Lorde Prize for an outstanding article on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and/or queer history published in English;

The Gregory Sprague Prize for an outstanding paper on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual and/or queer history completed in English by a graduate student.

Section 2: The John Boswell Prize and the Joan Nestle Prize shall be awarded in odd-numbered years, covering the previous two years. The Audre Lorde Prize and the Gregory Sprague Prize shall be awarded in even-numbered years, covering the previous two years.

Section 3: The chairperson, in consultation with the governing board, shall appoint a general editor and a book review editor to publish a newsletter two times a year.

Section 4: The chairperson, in consultation with the governing board, shall appoint a web-site manager to maintain a web-site, which shall include a directory of members, information on the Committee's activities, and other information relating to the Committee's objectives.

Article VII: Amendments

Section 1: These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote by the membership at large, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the chairperson and approved by the governing board.

Revised 6/15/06 (addition of Section IV Number 6 re: treasurer) by membership vote
Revised 6/15/07 (addition of Section IV Number 7 re: secretary) by membership vote