Bylaws of the Gay, Lesbian and Allies Senate Staff Caucus

Name. The official name of this organization is the Gay, Lesbian, and Allies Senate Staff Caucus. It may also be commonly referred to as the GLASS Caucus or GLASS.

Mission. The Gay, Lesbian, and Allies Senate Staff (GLASS) Caucus is a non-profit, non-partisan organization open to all whose purpose is to raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBT community, increase visibility and promote the welfare and dignity of LGBT employees of the United States Senate by providing a safe environment for social interaction and professional development.

Membership. The membership of the GLASS Caucus is open to all members of the Senate community. Official members of the organization must be employed by a United States Senator, the United States Senate, or a Committee of the United States Senate. Other individuals, under such terms established by the Steering Committee, may participate as non-voting, honorary members of the GLASS Caucus.

Dues. In order to be a member in good standing, and eligible to vote and participate in certain activities, individuals must pay annual dues. Dues for official members and honorary members are to be approved by the Steering Committee.

Steering Committee. There shall be a steering committee of 7 GLASS Caucus members who shall set policy for the GLASS Caucus. The Steering Committee shall consist of two co-chairs, a treasurer, a secretary, a webmaster, and 2 at-large members. A quorum and at least one co-chair must be present for the conducting of any Steering Committee business. The Steering Committee shall set policy for the organization, approve the budget, and coordinate activities for the GLASS Caucus. The secretary of the Steering Committee shall report minutes of the Steering Committee meetings to the membership.

Elections. Elections shall be held each September for all members of the Steering Committee. The co-chairs shall be elected separately and must be from two different parties. The remaining 5 Steering Committee members shall be elected at-large. After the election, the Steering Committee shall assign duties among the Committee members.

Vacancies. Vacancies on the Steering Committee shall be appointed by the remaining members of the Steering Committee to serve the remainder of any term. To fill the vacancy of a co-chair, a proposed replacement must be approved by a majority of the remaining Steering Committee and then by a vote of official members. The vote of official members shall be conducted confidentially and a majority of those voting must vote affirmatively in order for the proposed co-chair to be approved.

Spokespersons. Only the co-chairs of the organization are authorized to speak to the press or before any other group or organization as an official representative of the organization. If neither co-chair is available, with the approval of the Steering Committee, another member of the Steering Committee may be authorized to speak on behalf of the organization.

Confidentiality. All members of the Steering Committee shall affirm in writing that they will respect the confidentiality of all members of the GLASS Caucus. At no time shall a member of the Steering Committee breach the confidentiality of the GLASS Caucus’ membership list. It is the hope of the GLASS Caucus that all members and other participants of GLASS Caucus activities appreciate that people have different degrees of comfort in discussing their sexual orientation or gender identity and that the principles of respect, discretion and confidentiality will be observed to create a safe and positive environment for everyone.

Budget. The treasurer shall maintain a budget for the organization. Only the treasurer and the co-chairs are authorized to issue payments from the GLASS Caucus account. The treasurer shall submit a report of the expenditures and income of the organization not less than on a semi-annual basis to the official membership of the GLASS Caucus.

Amendments to the By-laws. The By-laws of the GLASS Caucus may be amended. Any two Steering Committee members may file an amendment for consideration by the full Steering Committee. Any ten members of the GLASS Caucus, in good standing, may also submit an amendment to the Steering Committee for consideration. The Steering Committee must consider any proposal within 30 days of its submission and vote on whether or not the Steering Committee supports the amendment. The Steering Committee shall report its position on the amendment to the membership at large. Within 60 days of the amendment’s submission, all official members in good standing shall be given an opportunity to vote. If 60% of the membership votes in favor of the amendment, the amendment shall be adopted.

Ratification of the By-laws. These by-laws shall take effect under the following conditions: A membership drive is held and a majority of those members vote in favor of ratification. Until ratification, the acting GLASS Caucus Steering Committee shall continue to set policy and oversee the organization's operations.