Division 44 - Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues

1. What do you see as the important role(s) APA can or should be playing in improving the lives or mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people?

Inclusion is Power! .is my campaign theme. APA must:

•  foster inclusion to improve the lives of LGBT people;

•  find ways to increase the access and empowerment of marginalized groups;

•  continue to issue resolutions (gay adoption, for example) that can influence laws and policies that impact the lives of LGBT people;

•  and, support training, research and education that enables us to become better practitioners, scientists and advocates for LGBT people, clients and colleagues.

•  We must end discrimination against LGBT professionals because all of us want to earn a respectable living and because it is the right thing to do.

2. Please describe or list any professional activities in which you have participated that are related to improving the lives or mental health and well-being of LGBT people.

While I have been an advocate for years perhaps my best known work is with the National Multicultural Summit. As cofounders of the Summit we strove to include LGBT issues from the very beginning. The Summit is sometimes a haven and sometimes a lightening rod for LGBT issues but the discussion is always there. At the APA convention of 2005 I co-facilitated a workshop on conflict between marginalized groups and will again this year. Away from APA, I support LGBT students and colleagues. At my university the Stonewall Tigers were voted student organization of the year.