Why OutHistory Needs Your Support!
Dear OutHistory User:
OutHistory is a ground-breaking, one-of-a-kind resource for scholars, activists, students and anyone who cares about the history of sexuality and gender. The site is pioneering in making reliable scholarship on LGBT history accessible through the web to a larger and more varied audience than has ever been reached by academic publications. The site solicits new scholarly work and republishes out-of-print work from major contributors to the field of LGBT history. OutHistory is also innovative in inviting contributions from community members who have documents, data and source citations relevant to LGBT history.
On October 21, 2008, OutHistory officially launched to a packed, enthusiastic crowd at the LGBT Community Center in New York City. This launch was the culmination of two years of work building OutHistory’s foundation. Only now can the site begin to fulfill its intended purpose.
The Arcus Foundation, which funded OutHistory's start-up has recently agreed to refund the site from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010, to support the Since Stonewall Local LGBTQ Local Histories Contest.
But, sadly, the Arcus grant does not cover all of OutHistory's expenses through 2010. So we are making fundraising appeals to individual donors, and have sent grant applications to foundations. We're also reaching out to corporations which support LGBT organizations. And we asking you, the site’s users to make a donation to help OutHistory make LGBTQ history.
At the most basic level, OutHistory needs funding to pay for server space and tech support in 2009-2010. We need to pay the Project Coordinator to continue her valuable work on the site. We need funds for office space at CLAGS, and for CLAGS’ Development Director to continue writing grant proposals and researching the foundations, corporations, government agencies, and individuals who might fund us in the future.
OutHistory needs $10,000 more to stay pay expenses in 2009. We understand that everyone’s budget is stretched thin in these difficult economic times, so a contribution of any amount would be greatly appreciated. If 2000 people give $5, if 1000 give $10, or if 40 give $250, OutHistory will go on making history. OutHistory is your history, so please help.
