SUMMER 2018: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Summer is here! And while the advent of slow, hot, humid days may typically elicit a sense of rest and relaxation – a much-needed break from the hectic tireless push of the academic year – the events of the last few months have necessitated our push to keep moving forward and to keep calling for compassion, equality, equity, and human dignity, even when it feels as though those calls are going unheeded. I imagine many of us feel exhausted and depleted. Angry, scared, and sad. I believe it is important that we recognize the feelings that come up for us when we hear about families fleeing sometimes impossible, violent, and desperate situations, only to be met at the border by officials who take children away from parents and then turn back around. When we hear about trans individuals who have chosen to serve their country in the military, only to be rejected, derogated, and find their jobs and careers at risk on the basis of their gender identity. When we hear about new legislation that robs trans people of their dignity and places them at risk for further harassment, abuse, and discrimination; and the state forcefully enlisting the help of friends, teachers, and even mental health professionals in its pursuit of further marginalizing a marginalized population. These are just a handful of the events that have occurred in the last few months. It may feel like too much to follow, much less fight – but fight we will, because that is our mandate as psychologists, as social justice advocates, and as human beings. We can start small, and we can start focused, but my hope is that the momentum will continue to build and as a community we can join voices and efforts to keep pushing forward. So, with that in mind, we have chosen to focus on one fight in this newsletter this summer: the ban of trans individuals from the military. We focus on this particular issue because we believe this ban has historical significance and is representative of a host of broader attitudes and barriers trans individuals face across many contexts.

In my last column, I discussed some of the upcoming activities our Section would be focusing on in the coming months, including updating our bylaws and continuing to discuss a change to the name of our Section. We have made excellent progress in these efforts and will be contacting Section members in the weeks after the annual APA convention for feedback, to vote on proposed changes, and to elect officers for Section leadership positions.  For anyone interested in learning more about elected positions, we encourage you to attend the Section 4 Business Meeting on Saturday, August 11^th at 12pm in the Division 35 Hospitality Suite.

Building on last year’s progress, we once again successfully funded four awards for graduate students and professionals. These awards will be presented at the Division 35 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 11^th at 3:00PM, and we invite all members (current or prospective!) to join us to celebrate with our award winners.

Finally, I also want to include some information about the exciting programming Section 4 is either leading or collaborating on at the APA Convention in just a few short weeks:

Friday, August 10^th from 11:00-11:50 AM: 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 Margaret Robinson. This symposium will be held in the Convention Center, Room 159 (Upper Mezzanine, South Building).

Friday, August 10^th from 4:00-4:50 PM: Striving for Justice to Address Gender-Based Violence: Sex Crimes and Trafficking. 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. This conversation hour will be held in the Convention Center, Room 2009 (Level 2 West Building).

Saturday, August 11^th from 12:00-12:50 PM: Division 35 Section 4 Business Meeting & Social Hour. We invite everyone to our Section 4 Business Meeting where we will provide some updates about our progress over the last year, invite discussion from attendees regarding ongoing Section 4 efforts, and provide an opportunity for networking and mentorship among section members.

For those of you who are attending APA in August, I would love to meet and talk with you! Outside of Section 4 programming, if you would like to reach out to find out more about the Section, discuss any initiatives you would like Section 4 to tackle, or just to connect, I invite you to reach out directly to me via email: tebbe@unl.edu 

EDITOR'S NOTE

The past several months have been challenging for people and communities we care about. From government policies that threaten to revert back hard earned advances in civil rights for LGBTQ people, to those that cause unjustifiable suffering and trauma to immigrant children and families, and to all others that take us in the opposite direction of all that is kind and civil to fellow human beings, we’ve experienced way too many threats to the safety and wellbeing of our communities in recent times. When Section 4’s executive committee met in March, we had just received news that a White House memo was released announcing policy that aims to ban, with few exceptions, transgender people from serving in the military. The committee decided then to dedicate the next issue of PERSPECTIVES to honoring all trans people who have devoted their lives to protecting our nation and who continue to do so despite being under threat of losing their right to choose a career in the military. The cover for this issue of PERSPECTIVES does just that. It features artwork by Kate Sypek, commissioned for this special issue, celebrating trans people who proudly wear the uniform (page 1). 

In this issue you will also find a message from our Section President, Elliot Tebbe, and updates from our Graduate Student Committee Chair, Emmie Matsumo (pages 3 and 4); thought provoking articles written by Nicole Ortiz, Kimberly Alston-Stepnitz, Harriet Stares, Emmie Matsuno, and Grace Hazeltine (pages 5 through 15); a publication announcement by Chinchu C. (page 15); and a guide to the upcoming APA convention, with recommendations for places to eat and visit in San Francisco, as well as a compilation of LGBTQ-related programming sponsored by several divisions to help you plan your convention schedule (pages 16 through 20). LGBTQ research is arduous work and not always valued or supported by psychology departments and other host organizations. For many of us, the LGBTQ research we do is truly a labor of love and every bit of support is welcomed. To help you find assistance and get recognition for the amazing research you do, the graduate student committee put together a new column, listing awards and small grant opportunities for graduate students and early career psychologists doing research in gender diversity, human sexuality, and LGBTQ related topics (page 21). We hope you will find this list—and everything else we packed into this issue of PERSPECTIVES—very inspiring and useful to your work. 

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD

WINTER 2018: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

In my last column, I described the hard work of Section IV officers to continue to address Section IV goals and to update our infrastructure to grow and support our members. Here are some updates on our progress.

In the next few months, we will be asking members to vote on necessary revisions to our bylaws and to provide feedback on possible changes to our section name, as described in the previous newsletter. To facilitate this process, we have established a Section IV listserv, and we want to extend an invitation to all Section IV members to join. This listserv will be used to disseminate announcements and foster discussion among Section IV members on topics that may be of personal and professional interest. If you have not yet done so but are interested in joining the listserv, please email me at tebbe@unl.edu. 

In addition to our (slow but steady!) progress on addressing updates to our Section IV infrastructure, we have also continued Section IV efforts to leading or collaborating with others to produce exciting programming at the annual APA Convention. In August 2017, we held two social events, facilitated our annual symposium, and held a conversation hour on transgender inclusion in feminist spaces at the APA convention. We also disseminated our Section IV awards at the Division 35 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to all awardees! You will learn more about awards and section activities on pages 12 through 14 of this issue of PERSPECTIVES. 

To end, as 2017 draws to a close and we welcome in the start of 2018 with all of its uncertainties, hopes, and fears, it is critical that we keep at the forefront our commitment to advocacy and social justice to address concerns stemming from entrenched patriarchy, colonialism, and widespread disempowerment of diverse individuals and communities. Therefore, in the coming months, it is my hope that we will engage in direct dialogue with each other to consider what steps we as a Section and as a professional community can take to continue our social justice engagement in these critical concerns. Elliot Tebbe, PhD (tebbe@unl.edu).

EDITOR'S NOTE

It’s January 6th, and there is a cold breeze in the air, coming through the window this evening. For someone like me, who lived most of my life in warmer climates, the mild winters of Los Angeles are just enough to make me feel energized and renewed by the change of seasons. I spent the day taking down holiday decorations, tying up loose ends, and clearing my desk (and mind) for new beginnings. Now, as I sit to write this column, I am comforted by the thought that no matter how much is left undone at the end of the year, we can always pick things up from where they were left off, and keep moving them forward. Fully aware that LGBTQ communities faced multiple challenges and set backs in 2017—both in the United States and abroad—I remain hopeful for better days, when greater and bolder progress in LGBTQ rights can be witnessed all over the world.   

I have reason to be hopeful. I know Section IV, and other professional and community-based organizations, are tireless, and have been doing great work in support of LGBTQ communities around the globe. I also know in 2018 they will continue to educate the general public and policy makers about multiple issues that need to be addressed to improve the lives of LGBTQ people and their families. The current issue of PERSPECTIVES provides many illustrations of this commitment. You will find a message from Section IV president, Elliot Tebbe, with progress updates toward Section goals and strategic vision (page 1); and will also hear from our past-president, Jennifer Vencill, and Graduate Student Committee Chair, Emmie Matsuno, regarding Section IV activities at convention (pages 3 and 4). In case you missed the opportunity to hear them speak last year, pages 5 through 11 feature the cutting edge work of our 2017 symposium presenters; and pages 12 though 14 highlight the accomplishments of our well-deserving 2017 award recipients. This issue of PERSPECTIVES also includes articles by contributing members, information about the upcoming AWP conference in Philadelphia, and other important announcements. As you take all this information in, I am sure you will feel hopeful too.  

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD