SUMMER 2017: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

In my last column, I discussed the hard work of our Section IV officers in continuing to establish the infrastructure necessary to help our section grow and support its members. Here are some updates on our progress.

Our section leadership has been discussing the possibility of a change in our section name, and we will be soliciting feedback from section members in the next few weeks to come (see column on page 17). Aiding this process, we will also be establishing a Section IV discussion listserv, where we will invite section members to share information and use this listserv to foster discussions on topics that may be of interest to Section IV members. Finally, early this fall, we will be looking to conclude our bylaws revisions and will be asking section members to vote on these revisions. Keep an eye out for these important items in the weeks to come!

Building on last year’s progress, we once again successfully funded and awarded four awards for graduate students and early career professionals. These awards will be presented at the Section IV Business Meeting on Thursday, August 3^rd at 12:00PM, and we invite all members (current or prospective!) to join us to celebrate with our award winners. We will also be presenting the Section IV Laura Brown Award at the Division 35 Business Meeting on Saturday, August 5^th at 4:00PM, so I encourage you all to attend that as well in order to hear more updates from Division 35 and celebrate with other Division 35 awardees.

Finally, I also wanted to include some information about the exciting programming Section IV is either leading or collaborating on at the APA Convention in just a few short weeks:

Thursday, August 3^rd from 12:00-12:50 PM: Division 35 Section IV Business Meeting, Awards Ceremony, & Social Hour. We invite everyone to our Section IV Business Meeting where we will provide some updates about our progress over the last year, invite discussion from attendees regarding ongoing Section IV efforts, and provide an opportunity for networking and mentorship among section members.

Thursday, August 3^rd from 1:00-1:50 PM: Transgender Inclusion in Feminist Spaces. This conversation hour will provide space to discuss the inclusion of trans people and concerns in feminist spaces.

Thursday, August 3^rd from 2:00-2:50 PM: Emerging Areas of Science, Practice, and Education with LGBTQ Women. This exciting symposium will feature three presentations that advance important areas of research with LGBTQ women and discussion by Ruth Fassinger.

Saturday, August 5^th from 9:00-9:50 AM: Living at the Intersection of Marginalization: A reexamination of the struggles and resilience. This conversation hour, a collaboration across all Division 35 sections, will provide space for attendees to discuss important topics related to intersectionality through a framework of struggle and resilience.

Saturday, August 5^th from 12:00-1:00 PM: Section IV Graduate Student Social Hour. This social hour particularly welcomes graduate students who might are already members of Section IV or who might be interested in learning more about our Section. Free appetizers will be provided (while supplies last!).

We also invite all section members to attend the Division 35 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony (and Social Hour to follow) on Saturday, August 5^th from 4:00-4:50 PM. Information about these and other LGBTQ programming sponsored by Divisions 35 and 44 are listed on pages 14-16 for your convenience.

For those of you who are attending APA in August, I would love to meet and talk with you! Outside of Section IV programming, if you would like to reach out to find out more about the Section, discuss any initiatives you would like Section IV to tackle, or just to connect, I invite you to reach out directly to me via email: tebbe@unl.edu.

WINTER 2017: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

I remember the day the Supreme Court ruling for Obergefell vs. Hodges came down; I was excited, happy, euphoric, and hopeful. I celebrated that night with my partner and friends and though I knew there were many more battles to be fought, I felt like we had reached a tipping point in LGBT rights in this country, and I hoped that momentum was on our side.

Now, a year and a half later from that day in June, 2015, I am sobered by the events of 2016 and 2017 to date. Our country, touted as the most generous country in the world, has summarily dismissed compassion in favor of fear, facts and truth in favor of a self-serving agenda. As has happened too many times in the short history of our country, we are once more being pitted against each other; we are told that affording rights and resources to those different from ourselves will come at a major cost to self and family. This is the great lie of today, just as it has been the great lie throughout history.

It is against this backdrop that I begin my role as President of Section IV. I am humbled and honored to assume the responsibility of leadership in a time such as this. We have much work to do, and thanks to Section IV leadership over the last several years, we have established the groundwork and infrastructure necessary to continue to grow and to advance feminist approaches to sexual and gender minority concerns. This summer at APA in Washington, D.C., we are excited to present and host a number of exciting programs and events (stay tuned for more details!). And in the months to come, we will continue to work to advance the mission of our section and to embrace compassion and honesty as the cornerstones of our feminist advocacy on sexual orientation and gender diversity.  
Elliot Tebbe, PhD

EDITOR’S NOTE 

So much has changed since the 2016 Summer issue of PERSPECTIVES regarding our sociopolitical landscape! After so many years of progressive leadership at the federal level, many of us did not expect to see a new resurgence of anti-LGBTQ and other discriminatory attitudes, laws, and policies that are having such direct and profound impact in our local communities. The new wave of social conservativism in contemporary US culture took some of us by surprise; but by now we are all fully aware that we must press on, and continue to speak loud and clear on behalf of our communities. Psychologists understand the impact of minority stress on people’s lives, and can shed light onto issues that cloud the general public’s opinions about the civil rights of sexual orientation, gender, racial, ethnic, and other minorities. In this time of uncertainty, one thing I know for sure is that we need you more than ever to help us advance Section IV’s mission, and there is no better time than now for you to contribute. Let us know if you want to be involved. 

In this issue of PERSPECTIVES, we say ‘thank you’ to Stephanie Langston for her dedicated service as section treasurer; to Mary Guerrant for doing such an amazing job representing student members in the executive committee; and to Julie Konik for her inspiring vision and steady leadership as section president and past-president over the last several years. Julie, Mary, and Stephanie recently left their executive committee seats to continue the work elsewhere; and four new leaders joined the team: Elliot Tebbe (president), Corey Flanders (treasurer), Alex Agiliga (awards committee chair), and Emmie Matsuno (graduate student committee chair). Jennifer Vencill rotated out of the president role but will remain active in the exec committee as past-president. I couldn't be happier! We have a strong leadership team, and with your help will do great things in 2017.    

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD