On August 8, 2009, Randy Georgemiller, outgoing President of APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues) gave the Division 44 presidential address at the APA Convention. Dr. Georgemiller recounted his experiences as the Division's president-elect and noted the active use of their List-Serv had been the "most important aspect" of his leadership. In keeping with his leadership style, he made a few comments and then led a discussion among the attendees.
Georgemiller began by reading from the Division 44 Mission statement:
The Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues (SPSLGBTI) welcomes all those interested in psychological research, education and training, practice, and advocacy on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues and all lesbian women, gay men, bisexual women, bisexual men, transgendered people, and their allies. SPSLGBTI respects the diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people and recognizes that multiple dimensions of diversity including race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age, and class affect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues. We support and mentor students and others interested in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered issues. We work collaboratively with others on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered concerns locally, nationally, and internationally.
(http://www.apadivision44.org/about/)
(Religion was not mentioned as a dimension of diversity which affects LGBT issues. This was curious in light of the extensive mention of religion in the Task Force Report released and companion Resolutions affirmed by APA just a few days before this address.)
Maintaining and Furthering Diversity
Georgemiller mentioned the difficulties which the division leadership had experienced in "canvassing for new elected leaders." He spoke of current members being "grey and green but not much in between;" difficulties attracting "colleagues of color" to join the division; and challenges with maintaining gender parity among committee assignments, task forces and other appointed positions. He asserted the needs of understanding both the barriers to enlisting (i.e., attracting and retaining) new leaders and reducing these barriers as well as the importance of maintaining and furthering the policy of "gender parity" in all appointed and elected division leadership positions. He reviewed the history of how the Association of Gay Psychologists evolved into the Association Of Gay and Lesbian Psychologists, and then later joined with the APA Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian and Gay Issues to become the present Division 44. He added that while Division 44 does struggle to keep its younger members, it is noteworthy that identifiable GLBT psychologists are present in the membership and leadership of other APA Divisions.
After asserting that Division 44 deserves 'brownie points" for being the APA Division with the most "gender parity", Georgemiller asked attendees: "How do we continue to live up to our mission to recognize and respect 'the multiple dimensions of diversity among us?'" He mentioned that while "psychology is becoming a woman's profession," all divisions within APA have difficulties getting and keeping women in elected and appointed leadership He invited "transgender/sexual persons" who "identify as women" - as long as they identify with feminist and Lesbian issues- to participate so that Division 44 may maintain gender diversity among its leaders. One proposal for balancing gender parity on Division 44 six person committees included filling two spots with two male or male identified members and two spots with two females or female identified members, while leaving the remaining two spots to allow for meeting racial or other diversity and perhaps experience needs.
The need to have the Division 44 Executive Committee not only "mirror the community we are serving via research and practice," but also reach out personally and network with them so that each member feels supported and valued was discussed. Related questions and comments addressed whether gender parity was the only kind of multi-cultural parity being sought, and how the present mono-cultural, non (racially) diverse Divsion 44 Board could expect and attract racially diverse membership. One attendee noted that 'being here as a person of color, and not seeing others like me, I feel alone and uncomfortable." Another issue raised was the challenge of achieving or maintaining gender, racial and ethnic diversity at a time when the overall membership in Division 44 and other APA divisions, was declining.
Mentoring Younger Members and Future Leaders
Georgemiller and various attendees addressed to the need to attract and maintain new Division 44 members and leaders. The "isolation" commonly experienced by new professionals, whether as practicing clinicians or aspiring researchers was voiced, as was the need for "grayer," more established members to serve as mentors and to help newcomers to network with established GLBT professionals and their allies and with significant persons within the broader GLBT community and allied society. On the other hand, early career GLBT psychologists commonly find that the early career challenges of their post-doc years- e.g., to publish or perish, or to establish a thriving private practice, may make membership in Division 44 "less relevant." The question was raised: "What would make Division 44 'home' for GLBT professionals when other divisions and groups within APA are competing for their membership?"
In response to a question about how Division 44 might "attract the best and the brightest of the new professionals from the GLBT community," Georgemiller asserted that "we already do have the best and the brightest" while admitting that more needs to be done to retain and support them as active members of the division. Suggestions from attendees included using social networking sites ("superficial media") for maintaining contacts, guidance on how to best use their time as students, and finding sources of funding for and involvement of students in research. One attendee stated that more needs to be done to make new, especially student, members aware of the benefits of membership. Another participant mentioned the need for the "graying leadership" to find ways to pass on to newer members the history of the division and the broader nature and influence of GLBT psychologists. Helping younger members have more of a voice and role in the division, especially enabling them to know when and how to participate, was emphasized.
Also mentioned during this presidential discussion was the activity of the work group challenging the validity of the Gender Identity Disorder (GID) diagnosis. A speaker noted that a draft of this effort to remove the diagnosis of GID was - or soon would be- under review by the Executive Committee. Another Division 44 activity noted was the "Health Initiatives Task Force."