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

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

SUMMER 2016: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

In my last column, I noted the ways in which your officers have been hard at work improving the infrastructure and functioning of Section IV to provide more opportunities for our members. Here are some updates on our progress.

Section IV has been successful in funding and developing four brand new awards for both research and travel. These awards will be given for the first time this summer and are focused on honoring our Early Career Psychologist and Graduate Student members. These important new awards are meant to facilitate the implementation and presentation of cutting edge sexual and gender minority research among feminist psychologists.

I'm also pleased to announce that our Graduate Student Committee (GSC), consisting of 6 members and the committee chair, is now active and fully functioning. The GSC has already been hard at work overhauling the Section’s social media presence and helping to select our inaugural research and travel award winners.

Section IV officers continue the process of updating our bylaws, with the first initiative focused on the ability to hold Section-wide votes electronically rather than via snail mail. Members have likely already received their ballots to vote on this initiative. Other proposed bylaws updates (e.g., a change to our Section name) will be circulated to Section membership for comment and vote this fall. As always, we welcome and encourage your feedback on this process.

Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to personally invite you to attend the many exciting Section IV events that will be held at the upcoming APA Convention in Denver.

• 8:00–9:50 am, Friday, August 5^th—Section IV was thrilled to be accepted this year for collaborative Convention programming focused on “Violence Toward the Trans* Community: Connection, Collaboration, & Community Action.” Join us in the Convention Center Mile High Ballroom 3B.
• 10:00–10:50 am, Friday, August 5^th—Please join Section IV as we collaborate with all Division 35 Sections for a roundtable discussion on “Living at the Intersection of Marginalization—Struggles & Resilience of Diverse Feminists.” Held in the Convention Center Mile High Ballrooms 2A and 3A.
• 3:00–3:50 pm, Friday, August 5^th—Join your Section IV officers for our annual business meeting and social hour, which will be held in the SPW/AWP Hospitality Suite. All are welcome and snacks will be provided!
• 4:00–4:50 pm, Friday, August 5^th—Immediately following our business meeting/social hour, Section IV will present its annual symposium: “Emerging Areas of Science, Practice, and Education with LGBTQ Women.” Held in the Convention Center, Room 707.
• 8:00–8:50 am, Saturday, August 6^th—Section IV and Section I of Division 35 have teamed up to present a symposium regarding “What to Know, What to (Not) Do: Working with Trans Women of Color.” Held in the Convention Center Mile High Ballroom 4B.

Please also make plans to join us at 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 6^th for the Division 35 Awards Ceremony, followed by our Division Social. Section IV will be presenting Dr. Marge Charmoli with the Laura Brown Award to honor her incredible contributions to the field of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women’s psychology. We will also honor our inaugural Section IV Research Award winners: Kaitlin Portz and Dr. Katina Sawyer. Read more about our award winners on pages 21 to 23. 

For those who are not able to attend the Convention, I would still love to meet and hear from you. Please email me. Share your thoughts on how Section IV can be most helpful to you and in continuing to address the major challenges within our community. As always, I look forward to speaking with you!

Jennifer A. Vencill, PhD (jvencill@umn.edu).

EDITOR’S NOTE

For the past several weeks our editorial team has been very busy preparing this issue of PERSPECTIVES — working diligently to get it out to you before the APA Convention. We received an unprecedented number of submissions this summer, and were thrilled to see so many thoughtful contributions from members of our section on a range of topics (pages 4 through 15). This summer issue of PERSPECTIVES also features a message from our president (page 3), information about the Convention (pages 16 through 20), biographical pieces about recipients of Section IV 2016 awards (pages 22 through 24), and announcements about professional development opportunities of interest to our members (pages 2, and 21 through 25).

While we were busy at work, on June 12th, we received news of the Orlando shooting, which took the lives of so many members of our LGBTQ and Latino communities. We remember and honor them by listing their names on our cover (page 1) and reflecting on the impact this event has had on our communities (page 4). Also in the last week, as we worked to finalize this issue of PERSPECTIVES, we received news of more tragic deaths resulting from senseless violence in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas. We are deeply troubled by this recent wave of shootings, and sadly recognize that there is still much work to be done to eradicate racism and other “isms” from our society. How can psychologists make a difference? We invite you to write about these issues and help us move the dialogue forward. 

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD (cmagalhaes@alliant.edu).

WINTER 2016: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Happy New Year! 2015 has been an exceptionally busy year for Section IV and, as my first year as President comes to a close, I’d like to use this space to provide you with some updates on the many ways that Section IV has been fulfilling our mission to develop and advance feminist approaches to sexual and gender minority concerns. 

First, I am proud to say that Section IV provided some fantastic programming at our annual APA Convention in Toronto (see page 10 for details)! Highlights include establishing what will become an annual symposium on “Emerging Areas of Science, Practice, and Education with LGBTQ Women” and holding a roundtable discussion on career concerns for graduate students and early career professionals in psychology. We are already in the process of planning for the 2016 Convention in Denver and hope to see you all there!

Your officers have also been hard at work reviewing and discussing ways to improve the infrastructure of Section IV. This has involved a thorough review and assessment of our (quite-dated) Section bylaws. An important proposed change involves the ability to hold Section-wide votes electronically rather than via snail-mail. Any and all bylaws changes must, of course, be voted on and approved by Section membership and, as such, you will be hearing a lot more about this initiative throughout 2016 as we work to update and improve the Section.

Intimately related to the process of updating our bylaws is growing concern as to whether the name of our Section (Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns) adequately conveys and represents a feminist vision of inclusivity and diversity. As such, Section IV officers have also been listening closely to member feedback around potentially changing the name of Section IV to something more inclusive. As with bylaw changes, any Section name change would necessitate a membership vote and this is something that we also hope to address in 2016. I welcome and encourage your feedback on this issue, including your ideas for a Section IV name that would feel inclusive and welcoming to all.

Another way in which Section IV officers have been working to ensure our mission is the development of several research and travel awards. Once established, such awards will facilitate the implementation and presentation of cutting edge sexual and gender minority research among feminist psychologists.

Finally, a critical piece of growing Section IV is ensuring quality leadership and increasing leadership opportunities. Currently, Section IV is in particular need of both a Program Committee and Awards Committee Chair. If you have interest in such roles (or others), please get in touch and we can explore opportunities that fit your interests.

As always, Section IV is committed to increasing dialogue, research, education, and activism around the critical issues facing the LGBTQ community (both inside and outside the field of psychology). Please consider sharing with us your perspectives and publications for inclusion in this newsletter! I look forward to hearing from you. 

Jennifer A. Vencill, PhD (jvencill@umn.edu).

EDITOR’S NOTE

If you are a feminist psychologist or graduate student with a passion for serving LGBTQ communities, there are several reasons why you should consider becoming involved with Section IV of APA Division 35. I can think of at least five without making an effort—meeting other like-minded professionals, participating in meaningful projects with others with the goal of fulfilling the Section’s mission, developing leadership skills, helping shape the future of the Section, and giving back to the professional and LGBTQ communities that sustain and inspire your work.

There are several ways you can get involved and most do not require a high level of engagement (see page 15 for details). One that takes little time is helping us disseminate information about the Section and recruit new members. Would you be willing to talk to your colleagues about the work we do and forward them a copy of Perspectives?

This issue includes a presidential report on 2015 APA convention activities, and a column (also by our president) about all the good work officers have been doing behind the scenes to plan for this year’s convention, support the professional development of our members, and fulfill our mission (pages 1, 7 and 10).  It also includes information about the newly formed graduate students committee, short columns and book reviews by several contributors, information about the upcoming AWP conference in Pittsburgh, and other announcements. We hope you and your colleagues will find this issue informative and engaging.

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD (cmagalhaes@alliant.edu).