May we all step into 2026 with hope and excitement for a productive year with new opportunities for feminist psychologists to make a difference in the profession and beyond!
In this column, I share with you what Section IV leaders have been doing to help advance feminist approaches to sexual and gender minority concerns within APA Division 35 and how you can become involved.
First, I am glad to report that we have a new team of leaders who are incredibly talented and dedicated to feminist work within APA. The new group has been meeting regularly since August 2025 to create new infrastructure to grow the Section, fill vacant positions, mentor new leaders, increase the visibility of sexuality and gender diversity concerns within Division 35, and add value to your membership.
Michi Fu recently joined the team as Interim Secretary, Elliot Tebbe as Interim Treasurer, Kat Arenella as Interim Newsletter Editor, and I continue as President. We will soon be holding new elections for these Executive Committee positions. If you are interested in any of these roles, please reach out to let me know (cmagalhaes2@alliant.edu). We expect to send out ballots to Section members within the next couple of months.
We also have several committee leaders and other volunteers supporting the activities of the Section in appointed roles. Kathryn Anderson and Arlene Noriega recently joined the Section and are chairing the Membership Committee and the Program Committee, respectively. Monica Ghabrial is continuing as Awards Chair. Hanna Seidman and Nina Dours also recently joined the Section and are co-chairing the Graduate Student Committee. Kyla Kaatz is leading social media initiatives.
The new group started strong. Within a couple of months, the team developed and launched a survey to gauge interest from Division members in the activities of the Section, solicit ideas for future programming, and identify current Section members who are willing to help coordinate future activities or develop new initiatives. Over 100 Section IV and Division 35 members completed the survey back in October 2025 and provided very helpful information. We are so grateful for their time and input!
Here are some takeaways.
• Approximately 60% of survey participants were either current or former Section IV members.
• Some participants did not know that Section IV membership is free, or how to join or renew membership. If you want to join or renew but don’t know how, here is where to go: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHtO_T5c2XIXLqw9A_XYEpy2LcSODrmCFIlgkFaHmx2jBug/viewform
• For former and current Section members, two common reasons why folks became members of the Section were that (1) they wanted to join a group of professionals who approach issues related to gender and sexuality from a feminist lens, and that (2) they wanted to stay informed of events related to gender and sexuality at APA convention via the Section's newsletter, social media, and other communication outlets. This is good feedback! Section leaders are working to re-activate, improve, or augment existing communication channels and create new ones to build/grow our professional community and keep our members engaged.
• Several participants did not know whether their membership is current. If this is the case for you, our Membership Chair can help check your status. Contact Kathryn Anderson at kathryn.anderson@div35spw.org. Alternatively, you may fill out a membership form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHtO_T5c2XIXLqw9A_XYEpy2LcSODrmCFIlgkFaHmx2jBug/viewform
• Participants endorsed multiple benefits of Section membership. Being in community with like-minded professionals received the highest frequency of endorsements (65%), followed by opportunities for networking (54%) and collaborating with other professionals (56%), and engaging in advocacy work around issues of gender and sexuality (53%).
• Approximately 40% of participants expressed interest in becoming actively involved in the activities of the Section in some capacity, which is wonderful. We followed up with them to initiate contact and look forward to future collaborations.
• Participants also expressed interest in a variety of program options, with webinars being the most popular. This is great feedback! The leadership team will be looking to develop a webinar series on topics of interest to our members. If you want to help with webinars, please contact Arlene Noriega at dranor@bellsouth.net.
The Section is also re-launching our biannual publication – PERSPECTIVES – which was dormant for a few years. PERSPECTIVES helped members stay informed, connected, and engaged in the past, so we are excited to bring it back. The 2026 Winter issue you are reading today is the first in the new series, now edited by Kat Arenella. We hope you will contribute to the next issue with an article, book review, or some other type of column. For more information about PERSPECTIVES and ways to contribute, you may want to check out the publication website (https://perspectivesongsod.blogspot.com/) or contact Kat directly (katherine.arenella@alliant.edu). The Summer 2026 issue of PERSPECTIVES is expected to be published in July 2026.
Lastly, Section leaders started planning for the 2026 APA Co
nvention in DC. You will soon see an invitation from Arlene Noriega to attend the Section’s symposium and other Section activities that are being planned for the convention. Nina Dours and Hannah Seidman are also working on programming for graduate students specifically. You will hear from them as well. Additionally, Section IV sponsors several research and travel awards for graduate students, early career professionals, and seasoned psychologists who are working to advance feminist approaches to gender and sexuality in psychology. You will soon see a call for award nominations from Monica Ghabrial. Please consider nominating yourself or someone else for one of these awards that are presented at convention.
nvention in DC. You will soon see an invitation from Arlene Noriega to attend the Section’s symposium and other Section activities that are being planned for the convention. Nina Dours and Hannah Seidman are also working on programming for graduate students specifically. You will hear from them as well. Additionally, Section IV sponsors several research and travel awards for graduate students, early career professionals, and seasoned psychologists who are working to advance feminist approaches to gender and sexuality in psychology. You will soon see a call for award nominations from Monica Ghabrial. Please consider nominating yourself or someone else for one of these awards that are presented at convention.
I conclude this presidential report with much appreciation for you. In a world where there is so much misinformation about gender and sexuality, I feel privileged to be part of a group of like-minded psychologists committed to increasing dialogue, research, education, and advocacy around issues impacting LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in the US and abroad. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to be actively involved in the work of the Section. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cristina Magalhaes, PhD (cmagalhaes2@alliant.edu).
President, APA Division 35 Section IV
