Professor John Boswell stopped the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) from coming to Yale because he insisted that its board be composed entirely of full professors, in an era in which there were no out-of-the-closet lesbian or nonwhite gay full professors in the country. CLAGS refused, and was moved by its founder Martin Duberman to the City University Graduate Center.
Professor John Boswell's opposition to the establishment of CLAGS at Yale, based on his insistence that the board be composed solely of full professors, is a reflection of the lack of openly gay or non-white full professors in the country during that time period.