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from Political News
A.P.A.'s Society for the Study of Gay Issues Urges Psychologists To Become Political Activists
May 7, 2004 - The
Division 44 Newsletter,
(Spring, 2004) published by the
American Psychological Association's Society for the Psychological Study of
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues, urged gay psychologists to become activists
in supporting gay marriage and domestic partnerships.
Judith Glassgold, the president of Division 44, also urged gay psychologists to
oppose any attempts by conservative groups to de-fund sexual orientation or
sexuality studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
In her editorial, Glassgold says that Division 44 has contacted the APA's Public
Policy office to urge them to lobby against President Bush's Defense of Marriage
Amendment. In addition, she has encouraged gay psychologists to build allies
inside the APA and also with outside gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgendered
communities.
She noted that Division 44 is building relationships with Division 19, the
Military Psychology section of the APA in order to "oppose unfair and
discriminatory policies together."
Dr. Glassgold also observed that the Executive Committee's meeting in Chicago
(March, 2004) was to be devoted to a discussion of military issues, family
protections and rights, as well as transgender issues.
Transsexual Psychologist Urges Change In DSM
In a separate article in the Division 44 Newsletter, a male-to-female
transsexual doctor, writing under a pen name, expressed his hope that someday
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual would be changed to normalize
transsexualism.
Madeline H. Wyndzen states: "As a psychologist and transsexual, I find that the
mental illness label imposed on transsexuality is just as disquieting as the
label that used to be imposed upon homosexuality." He said he looked forward to
the day when his children will think that it was "unfathomable that I was once
diagnosed and treated for 'Gender Identity Disorder.'"
Heterosexuality "No Longer Normative"
Division 44 head Dr. Glassgold wrote a second essay in the newsletter which
dealt with the use of psychoanalysis and other philosophies to "reformulate"
psychoanalysis and reorder society's view of reality.
According to Glassgold, "Psychoanalysis has evolved and modern psychoanalysis no
longer sees heterosexuality as normative and no longer views sexual and gender
varieties as pathological; as a result, psychoanalysis and LGBT psychology do
not have to be at odds, and can actually be allies."
Glassgold says that psychoanalysis, united with postmodernism and social
constructionism, "provides very powerful theories to understand reality; however
this potential has yet to be fully realized."
She continues, "Social change as well as new and fluid models of gender and
sexuality can evolve from psychoanalytic understanding. Some of the strengths of
modern psychoanalysis are its rejection of predetermined goals, its embracing of
psychic creativity, and respect for an individual's agency in self-realization."
Updated: 8 February 2008
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