The Constitution of Queer McGill was:

approved by the general membership on 4 December 2007. most recently revised at the General Assembly on 16 January 2012.

Contents
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1 Article I Name 2 Article II Mandate 3 Article III Membership 4 Article IV Executive, Council and General Meetings 5 Article V Council 6 Article VI Requirements and Duties of Executive Committee members: 7 Article VII - Requirements and Duties of Queer McGill Liaisons 8 Article VIII - Removal and Sanction of Council Members 9 Article IX Queer Line By-Laws 10 Article X - Allies By-Laws 11 Article XI Use of Queer McGill Resources 12 Article XII Signatures and Certification Procedure 13 Article XIII Resolutions and Amendments 14 Article XIV - The Queer McGill Constitution

Article I Name
Queer McGill

Article II Mandate
Queer McGill shall provide a variety of services for queer students and their allies. Queer is a broad term which includes anyone who chooses to identify with it. This includes those who identify simply as queer, and includes but is by no means limited to those who identify as queer and/or any combination of agender, ally, ambigender, ambisexual, androgyne, asexual, bigender, bisexual, birl, biromantic, boi, butch, crossdresser, drag king, drag queen, femme, gay, gender-adjacent, gender anarchist, gender creative, genderuid, genderless, gender neutral, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, gender transcendent, graysexual, heteroexible, homoexible, homoromantic, homosexual, intergender, intersex, lesbian, multigender, neutrois, non-heterosexual, omnisexual, pangender, panromantic, pansexual, polygender, polysexual, pomosexual, questioning, same gender loving, sexually uid, stone, third gender, third sex, tran(s)sexual, trans, trans*, transgender, trigender, and Two-Spirit. (This list does not begin to approach being a full list of identities, and should never be misconstrued as such. It is subject to frequent change to make Queer McGill a more inclusive body. Moreover, queerness goes beyond

identity categories and therefore beyond what is possible to list.) In addition, Queer McGill welcomes any and all individuals, including those whose identities do not fit into Western conceptions of gender and sexuality, whether or not they identify as queer. Queer McGill shall:

provide support to queer students through discussion groups, a library, and a visible presence on campus; serve as a resource for information pertaining to queer people and queer issues; be politically active to heighten student awareness of, and actively promote queer issues, as well as to prevent prejudicial action against its members and allies, to the best of its abilities; organise and encourage social activities and interaction, in Queer McGill, on the McGill campus, and in the greater Montreal community.

Queer McGill shall carry out its workings from an anti-oppressive orientation, including, but not limited to, being anti-racist, anti-classist, anti-homo-and transphobic, anti-sexist, anti-ageist, anti-ablist, and anti-sizeist, with full respect for, and without discrimination against, individuals who are, but not limited to, queer. Specifically, Queer McGill shall recognize that homophobia stems from sexism and sex-negative views held by society at large and therefore purports to take a pro-feminst and sex-positive position in its representation of queer issues.

Article III Membership

1. Full membership is open to McGill students who are members of the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU), only full members may vote or run for and hold elected office. 2. Associate membership is open to all individuals who aren't eligible for full membership status. Associate members shall not have voting privileges or hold executive or liaison positions. 3. All full and associate members have: o the right to attend all meetings and discussion groups, according to established procedures; o the right to attend all events, unless otherwise specified due to the nature of said event; o the right to work as volunteers; o the right to use the library according to procedures. 4. Any member may withdraw from association with Queer McGill at any time without notice.

Article IV Executive, Council and General Meetings

1. Executive Meetings shall be held to plan and discuss the activities of Queer McGill.

2. Executive Meetings shall be held once weekly during the Fall and Winter terms and shall be open to anyone, regardless of membership in Queer McGill or SSMU. 3. All Queer McGill political policy shall be decided on at Executive meetings by simple majority and documented in the Policy Binder. All policy must be ratified by the general membership at the General Meeting following its adoption. Policy shall remain in effect until such a time as the Executive deems necessary to change it through the implementation of new policy. 4. Council meetings shall be held to discuss the activities of all dependent branches of Queer McGill as well as regular Executive meeting items; 5. Council meetings shall be held on the first scheduled Executive meeting of each month during the Fall and Winter terms and shall be open to anyone, regardless of membership in Queer McGill or SSMU. 6. A General Meeting for all members shall be held at least once per semester. The meeting shall be pre-publicised at the Queer McGill office and in the McGill media including the Internet. 7. Quorum for the General and Council meetings shall be two thirds (2/3) of Council. 8. Quorum for the Executive meetings shall be two thirds (2/3) of the Executive Committee.

Article V Council
1. The Council shall consist of the Executive and a body of Liaisons. 2. The Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of Queer McGill, each member of the Executive having one vote. 3. The Executive shall consist of, at minimum: o two (2) Administrators; o one (1) Treasurer and Office Manager; o one (1) Resource Coordinator; o one (1) Equity and Policy Coordinator; o two (2) Political Action Coordinators; o two (2) Social Coordinators; o one (1) Publicity Coordinator; o one (1) Volunteer and Discussion Groups Coordinator; o one (1) First Year Representative The Liaisons are non-voting Council members who represent dependently operating subgroups of Queer McGill to the Executive. 4. The Liaisons shall consist of, at minimum: o one (1) Allies Coordinator; o one (1) Mac Campus Liaison; o one (1) Queerline External Coordinator; o two (2) Rez Project Coordinators;

5. Other Liaisons (e.g. Discussion Groups Liaison, First Year Liaison, Safe Space Coordinator, Ombudsperson) may be added to the Executive as needed on a yearby-year basis, with a simple majority vote of the Executive. 6. All Executive positions shall be elected by majority vote of the members at a General Meeting. In the absence of more than one nomination for a position, the nomination will be subjected to a yes/no vote. 7. If an Executive position is vacated or unfilled, the remaining Executive may appoint an interim position-holder by majority vote until elections are held. The Executive is encouraged to hold a General meeting as soon as feasible to hold elections. 8. Members of the Executive shall hold office for one year, beginning and ending on the 1st of May, until their successors are elected or appointed in their stead. 9. The election of members of the Council shall be held by secret ballot, and monitored by an impartial Elections Officer. The Elections Officer shall: o be nominated by the Executive and approved by a simple majority vote of the General Meeting; o prepare the ballots and distinctively mark them to prevent individuals from having more than one vote; o be responsible for counting the vote and announcing and posting the result on the Queer McGill website; o keep in their possession, the ballots of the election, for a period of one week, in the event of an individual requesting a re-count, or suspecting foul play. 10. Current Council members shall be eligible for re-election. 11. Each member of the Excecutive shall receive an honorarium of equal value, determined by the general membership, and informed by the Executive, at a General Meeting. 12. Any member of the Executive may anonymously return their honorarium to Queer McGill. 13. Council members shall be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred in the course of their duty, where such expenses are authorised and deemed reasonable by the Executive, and according to SSMU financial policy. 14. All members of the executive shall not support heterosexism or heterosexist practices, and further shall support the spirit of the Queer McGill mandate. 15. Council members shall be required to read, sign and comply with the Queer McGill Constitution and Code of Conduct upon entering office.

Article VI Requirements and Duties of Executive Committee members:

1. The Administrators (2) shall: o schedule and compile the agenda for all General, Council and Executive Committee meetings of Queer McGill; o serve as official liaisons to SSMU, the University administration, and other governmental organisations;

be responsible for organising the training of all members of Council at the start of the Fall semester; o be signing officers; o oversee the workings of Council; o strike a Disciplinary Committee in case of disciplinary infractions outlined in Article VIII; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o ensure organisational adherence to the Constitution and all SSMU policies; o be responsible for maintaining the office in an orderly state; o be responsible for purchasing and maintaining office supplies; o maintain an ongoing record of the attendance of the other executives of events; o be responsible for maintenance of the Queer McGill e-mail account; o receive a stipends determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 2. The Treasurer shall: o oversee all expenditures and revenues of Queer McGill. Funds shall not be spent unless approval is granted by the Executive committee; o keep accurate and up-to-date financial records of the organisation; o be a signing officer; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o be responsible for preparing the budget, in accordance with the SSMU policies and guidelines. o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 3. The Resource Coordinator shall: o be responsible for keeping minutes at all General, Council and Executive meetings; o ensuring that information from the meetings is made available to all members of Queer McGill; o be familiar with all resources in the Queer McGill office, which includes, but is not limited to, books, periodicals, pamphlets, community resources, etc.; o be responsible for organising and updating books, periodicals, pamphlets, stickers, community resources etc. o ensure the return of borrowed literature from its users;
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be responsible for designing and updating the information about Queer McGill events, contact information, news, resources, etc. on the official Queer McGill website; o maintain the discussion, information and executive mailing lists; o coordinate all Queer McGill internet activities with option to outsource website creation and maintenance; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 4. The Equity and Policy Coordinator shall: o be responsible for dealing with the policies of SSMU, the University administration and the Government, with regards to representing the interests of the membership of Queer McGill; o network with other political groups on McGill campus and throughout Montreal and Canada; o work with the Resource Coordinator to ensure the availability of political materials in the Queer McGill office and library; o ensure Queer McGill is properly reaching out to marginalized minorities within the queer community; o work closely with the Political Action Coordinators to organise events of a political nature, including but not limited to film screenings, lectures and panel discussions; o coordinate their events closely with the Publicity Coordinator and the media; o endeavour to research and update the Code of Conduct; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o be responsible for the creation and upkeep of queer positivity workshops and other workshops o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 5. The Political Action Coordinators (2) shall: o be responsible for coordinating Queer McGill's activist role in the community-at-large, including but not limited to demonstrations, rallies and tabling events; o work closely with the Equity and Policy Coordinator to organise events of a political nature, including but not limited to film screenings, lectures and panel discussions;
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coordinate their activities closely with the Publicity coordinator and the media; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. 6. The Social Coordinators (2) shall: o be responsible for co-ordinating all the social events of the Queer McGill; o organise, at their discretion, a Social sub-committee, and hold meetings of the sub-committee as the need arises; o ensure the maintenance of the Protocol Binder; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipends determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 7. The Publicity Coordinator shall: o be responsible for the publicising of all Queer McGill activities/discussion groups, social events and meetings; o try to ensure that information and publicity reaches both the Anglophone and Francophone communities of Montral; o maintain and updating relevant contacts; o advertise Queer McGill events to those contacts; o collect, compile, and advertise local events to Queer McGill; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 8. The Volunteer and Discussion Groups Coordinator shall: o recruit volunteers to assist with Queer McGill activities and to keep in contact with them on a regular basis. o hold at least one (1) volunteer meeting per semester. o communicate closely with coordinators of events. o be responsible for scheduling volunteers of said events; o find facilitators for all Queer McGill sponsored discussion groups; o serve as a substitute facilitator should the need arise; o serve as a resource for discussion group facilitators; o ensure that the office is staffed continuously during opening hours; o ensure that all facilitators are trained and read sign and abide by the Code of Conduct; o ensure that information on the status of the discussion groups is available to the community;
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make an effort to reach out to first year students; maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 9. The First Year Representative shall: o be responsible for publicising all Queer McGill events and services to the first year population; o be responsible for communicating the needs and concerns of first year students to the Queer McGill Council; o organise at their discretion a first year committee and hold meetings of that committee as the need arises; o maintain the confidentiality of Queer Line at all times; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. o ensure that all events they organize are thoroughly documented in the protocol binder. Further, they shall write an end of the year report documenting activities, relevant contacts and all other relevant information for their successors, to be approved by the outgoing executive. 10. If a situation or duty arises which is not clearly delegated by the Constitution to a member of the Executive, it will be the duty of the Administrators to delegate the duty. 11. When forming the Executive, a diversity of genders should be represented in as much as possible. 12. Executive members shall be required to: o read, sign and comply with the Queer Line Confidentiality Agreement upon entering office; o undergo extensive sensitivity training at the beginning of Fall semester; o record their activities in the Protocol Binder and write an exit report before the end of their term in office; o hold at least three (3) hours of office hours a week during the Fall and Winter semesters; o contribute to the advertising of Queer McGill events through media such as fliers, posters, etc.; o notify the Administrators in case of inability to attend an Executive or Council meeting; o attend two thirds (2/3) of all Queer McGill events.
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Article VII - Requirements and Duties of Queer McGill Liaisons

1. The Queer Line External Coordinator shall:

serve as an official Liaison between Queer Line and Queer McGill; fulfill their mandate within Queer Line as outlined in Article IX; work closely with the Treasurer and Office Manager to manage the budget of Queer Line; o be elected internally by the Queer Line membership; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. 2. The Allies Coordinator shall: o serve as an official Liaison between Allies and Queer McGill; o fulfill their mandate within Allies as outlined in Article X; o work closely with the Treasurer and Office Manager to manage the budget of Allies; o be elected internally by the Allies membership; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of Fall and Winter semester, respectively. 3. The Rez Project Coordinator(s) shall: o be elected at the Winter General Meeting prior to the beginning of Rez Project by the Queer McGill membership; o be a training coordinator for Rez Project facilitators; o be a scheduling coordinator for Rez Project facilitators; o be a Rez Project facilitator; o work with the Allies Coordinator and the Equity and Policy Coordinator to update the content of the Rez project workshop format and the Rez Project training manual; o follow up on the results of Rez Project together with McGill Residences, the Sexual Assault Center of McGill University, the Trans/Gender Alliance and any other groups involved in the coordination of Rez Project; o report to Queer McGill on the activities of Rez Project; o receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of the Fall and Winter semester, respectively, to be given to the Rez Project o be responsible for recruiting one or two interns to work with the Rez Project for the end of the Winter semester and throughout the summer, upon the assumption that they will run for the Rez Project Coordinator positions in the following General Assemblies. o Interns will be expected to collaborate with the Rez Project Coordinators but not required to take on any other responsibilities of being a Council Member of Queer McGill. 4. The Rainbow Mac Liaison shall: o serve as an official Liaison between MacDonald Campus and Queer McGill; o work with the Social Coordinators and the Political Action Coordinators to organise Queer McGill events on MacDonald Campus; o ensure Queer McGill activities are publicised on MacDonald Campus; o carry out all duties and responsibilities, as outlined in the Rainbow Mac constitution; o be elected internally by the Rainbow Mac membership;
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receive a stipend determined by the general membership at the end of the Fall and Winter semester, respectively to be given to Rainbow Mac. 5. Liaisons are strongly encouraged to hold office hours in the Queer McGill office and attend Queer McGill events. 6. All Liaisons will be required to: o report on their activities at Council meetings; o notify the Administrators in case of inability to attend a Council meeting.
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Article VIII - Removal and Sanction of Council Members

1. A Disciplinary Committee may be struck in cases where a member of Council: o breaks the Code of Conduct or Queer Line Confidentiality Agreement; o fails to attend Executive, Council or General meetings twice or more in a semester, without just cause; o fails to attend office hours four or more times in a semester, without just cause; o otherwise fails to fulfill their duties, as outlined in articles VI and VII of the Constitution. 2. A Disciplinary Committee shall consist of: o The Vice-President Clubs and Services of the Students Society of McGill University or their designate; o The Administrators; o The Equity and Policy Coordinator; o An impartial member of Queer McGill at large; 3. In the case of one of the proposed members of the Disciplinary Committee being the subject of said Committee, the Vice-President Clubs and Services shall appoint a replacement; 4. The Disciplinary Committee may impose disciplinary action, which may include probation, monetary sanction, dismissal and any combination of these; 5. Monetary sanction shall not exceed the stipend currently allotted to the Council member in question and shall be donated to a charity of the Committees choice. 6. The Disciplinary Committee may refer contentious matters to SSMU and/or the McGill Administration.

Article IX Queer Line By-Laws

These By-Laws are Confidential by agreement between Queer McGill and Queer Line.

Article X - Allies By-Laws

1. Guiding Principle and Mission Statement 1. The Allies Program strives to be non-hierarchical.

2. All matters being decided by the Queer McGill Executive or Project 10 about the Allies Program are subject to approval by the Allies Program. 2. The Allies Program Executive 1. the executive committee strives to consist of: one (1) Internal Coordinator; one (1) External Coordinator; one to two (1-2) Trainers/Social Coordinators; one (1) Assistant Trainer; two (2) Networkers; one (1) Ombudsperson; 2. the Executive positions are to be filled voluntarily by current members of the program; 3. the Executives will be chosen by a vote of the members of the program at the end of the school year; 4. all Executives must have been a member for at least one semester; 5. the Executive Committee should strive to meet once a month during the school year, with additional meetings at their own discretion; 6. the Executive will hold positions for one year; 7. deselection does apply to the Executive; 8. other positions can be added on a year-to-year basis, with consensus from the current Executive (i.e. social coordinator, researcher, resource person, etc.); 9. should a position be abandoned, the Executive should decide upon further action. 3. Responsibilities of the Allies Program Executive 1. The External Coordinator shall: Be a McGill student and representative on the Queer McGill Council, reporting all important info to Queer McGill Be a representative to Project 10, and keep Project 10 up to date on the program; Represent the Allies Program to media, schools, and the general public; Oversee the recruiting of volunteers; As an SSMU exec, book rooms as necessary. 2. The Internal coordinator shall: Be in charge of deselection after training; Ensure the safety and well-being of the volunteers; Make sure that supplies are ready for workshops, i.e. evaluation forms and resource lists, etc. (preparing packages in the QM office); Schedule volunteers to workshops based on the recommendation of the networkers. 3. The Trainer(s)/Social Coordinator(s) shall: Hold at least one training in September and try to hold another one in January; Update the training manual as necessary;

Provide, in the sessions, all the necessary information for volunteers to animate workshops, including but not limited to active listening and communication skills, conflict management, crisis intervention, resources in the city, and familiarity with issues pertaining to the queer community; Be available for further training and support; Hold extra training sessions, when necessary (if questions keep arising about an issue not covered in training); Be in charge of deselection during training; Meet with the next years training coordinators to pass on knowledge; Work to create a group atmosphere throughout the year including one social event per month; We allow for the possibility of one assistant trainer who will serve only training duties not those of social coordinator (may be a member of the program for only one semester.) 4. The Ombudsperson shall: Shall be a neutral member of the executive who acts as a liaison to transmit complaints and/or information; Be available to all volunteers to receive and deal with questions, concerns, suggestions in an impartial and independent manner; Be available for anonymous messages; Act as a mediator of conflicts; Be a support for the other volunteers; Be present during the deselection process. 5. The Networkers shall: Be in charge of calling and faxing schools; Set up workshops and inform the schedulers; Find schools, community groups, or organisations for youth to provide the workshops in. 4. Volunteers 1. All volunteers of the Allies Program must go through training 2. If a volunteer is inactive for more than two (2) semesters, retraining will be required.

Article XI Use of Queer McGill Resources

1. Individuals or organisations that abuse Queer McGills goodwill in their use of Queer McGill resources may be barred from further access to those resources by a majority vote at an Executive meeting. These resources include, but are not limited to, monetary resources and funding, the community resource binder, the office, the lending library, and all Internet resources.

Article XII Signatures and Certification Procedure

1. All legal contracts, documents or instruments in writing which require signature shall be signed by the relevant co-ordinator, the Treasurer, the Administrators and the General Manager of SSMU. 2. All legal contracts, documents or instruments so signed shall be binding upon Queer McGill without further authorisation.

Article XIII Resolutions and Amendments

1. The Queer McGill Constitution may be amended at any General Meeting of Queer McGill by an ordinary resolution adopted by a majority of the membership in attendance. 2. Notice to amend or add to any part of the Constitution shall be given to the members by posting the proposed amendment or addition, ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting at which a vote will be called. 3. Any resolution brought to a General Meeting shall be deemed to have passed if a majority of the members present vote in favour of such a resolution. 4. All changes to the Queer McGill Constitution must be submitted to the SSMU Executive Council, pending SSMU Council approval.

Article XIV - The Queer McGill Constitution

1. The Queer McGill Constitution (Constitution) shall be made available to give to any members who request a copy. The member shall bear the cost of reproduction. 2. The Constitution shall be posted at the Queer McGill office where it is visible to all members. 3. The Constitution shall be posted on the official Queer McGill website. 4. The Constitution shall act as the guiding document of Queer McGill. Where it does not specify a rule or guideline, the rules and guidelines within shall act as a guide in determining the appropriate rule, action or guideline in any given situation. In deriving a rule, action or guideline, the Executive shall consider the Constitution in its entirety with reference to any part of the Constitution that serves a similar function. 5. In areas not covered in this Constitution, the Students Society of McGill University's Constitution shall take effect.