The LGBTQ+ History Association awards five prizes for outstanding work in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history; prize descriptions are below. Calls for prizes are announced in the early summer of each year; submissions are due to prize committee members in the fall. The prizes are awarded each year in early January at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association. The Boswell and Nestle Prizes are awarded in January of odd-numbered years for work published or written in the prior two years. The Bérubé, Lorde, and Sprague Prizes are awarded in January of even-numbered years for work produced, published, or written in the prior two years. Each prize comes with an award of $200. The CLGBTH funds the prizes, with the exception of the Bérubé Prize, which is underwritten by the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.
The John Boswell Prize for an outstanding book on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history published in English. (Odd-numbered years, covering previous two years.)
The Joan Nestle Prize for an outstanding paper on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history completed in English by an undergraduate student. (Odd-numbered years, covering previous two years.) The undergraduate paper prize is funded through a special fund established by CLGBTH’s lifetime members.
The Gregory Sprague Prize for an outstanding published or unpublished paper, article, book chapter, or dissertation chapter on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history completed in English by a graduate student. (Even-numbered years, covering previous two years.)
The Audre Lorde Prize for an outstanding article on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history published in English. (Even-numbered years, covering previous two years.)
The Allan Bérubé Prize for outstanding work in public or community-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history. (Even-numbered years, covering previous two years.) The Bérubé Prize is underwritten by the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco, CA.
The Don Romesburg Prize for outstanding K-12 curriculum in LGBT history. (Odd-numbered years, covering the previous two years.)
Congratulations to all our recent prize winners!
Prize Committees:
2025:
Boswell Committee: Howard Chiang, Lauren Kaminsky, Timothy Stewart-Winter
Nestle Committee: Andrea Friedman, Jorge Sanchez Cruz, Scott Larson
2024:
Lorde Committee: Lauren Gutterman*, Kevin Quin, and Rene Esparza
Allan Bérubé Committee: Samantha Rosenthal*, Luca Maurer, and Chelsea Del Rio
Sprague Committee :Rachel Corbmanr*, Alex Burnett, and Nikita Shepard
2023:
Boswell Committee: Heather Murray, Colin Johnson, and Chelsea Del Rio
Nestle Committee: Natalie Shibley, Quinn Anex-Ries, and Jerry (Jay) Watkins
Romesburg Committee: Stacie Brensilver Berman, Lacey McGowan, and Jaden Janak
2022:
Lorde Committee: Marc Stein*, Patrizia Gentile, and Nic John Ramos
Allan Bérubé Committee: Sarah Watkins*, Hugh Ryan, and Stefanie Snider
Sprague Committee: Cookie Woolner*, Samuel Clowes Huneke, and Beans Velocci
2020:
Lorde/Sprague Committee: Zeb Tortorici*, Elliott Powell, Sarah Watkins
Allan Bérubé Committee: Jennifer Brier*, Rachel Corbman, Eric Gonzaba
Nestle Committee: Rachel Hope Cleves*, J.T. Roane, Caroline Radesky
Romesburg Committee: Don Romesburg*, David Duffield, Wendy Rouse
Boswell Committee: Catherine Jacquet, Ryan Jones, and Jason Ruiz*
2018:
Lorde/Sprague Committee: Emily Skidmore*, Abraham J. Lewis, Linda Velasco
Bérubé Committee: Jennifer Tyburczy*, Joshua Buford, Katherine Ott
2017: Phil Tiemeyer*, Carson Morris, Afsaneh Najmabadi
2016:
Lorde/Sprague Committee: James Green*, Chelsea del Rio, Stephen Vider
Bérubé Committee: Amy Sueyoshi*, Mark Bowman, Victor Salvo.
2015: Estelle Freedman*, T.J. Tallie, Mir Yarfitz
2014:
Lorde/Sprague Committee: Kevin Mumford*, Emily K. Hobson, Anita Kurimay
Bérubé Committee: Jill Austin*, JD Doyle, Maria-Anna Tesliou
2013: Margot Canaday*, Cookie Woolner, Ben Cowan
2012:
Lorde/Sprague Committee: Thomas A. Foster*, Julio Cesar Capo, Claire Potter;
Bérubé Committee: Kevin P. Murphy*, Marcia Gallo, Lauren Jae Gutterman, Joey Plaster
Prize Committees (prior to 2012):
2011: Ellen Herman*, Chris Waters, Stephanie Gilmore
2010: Marc Stein*, Nicholas Syrett, Ellen Zitani
2009: John D’Emilio*, Amy Sueyoshi, Red Vaughan Tremmel
2008: Moshe Sluhovsky*, Christolyn Williams, Phil Tiemeyer
2007: Ramon Gutierrez*, Jennifer Evans, Daniel Rivers
2006: Vicki Eaklor*, Nan Alamilla Boyd, Don Romesburg
2005: John Howard*, Margaret McFadden, Pablo Ben
2004: Margaret Hunt*, Anne Rubenstein, Tim Retzloff
2003: John D’Emilio*, Lori Ginzberg, Robert Frame
2002: Chuck Middleton*, Margot Canaday, David Serlin
2001: Michael Sibalis*, Leisa Meyer, Christopher Capozzola
2000: Ellen Herman*, James Green, Victoria Thompson
1999: Allida Black, Bill Drummond, Terence Kissack
1998: John Fout, John Howard, Nancy Unger
1997: Linda Heidenreich, Leila Rupp, Michael Sherry
1996: Barry Adam, Leisa Meyer, Randolph Trumbach
1995: Vicki Eaklor, James Steakley, Marc Stein
1994: Steven Maynard, Eugene Rice, Leila Rupp
* indicates chair position