Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally
To acknowledge the ever-widening circle of people who support Div. 44's mission, the Div. 44 Executive Committee launched the Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally in 2008. Evelyn Hooker, PhD, a recipient of the 1991 APA Award for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public Interest, championed research which has contributed to depathologizing, decriminalizing and destigmatizing people with minority sexual orientations. Hooker's legacy as an ally of people with sexual minority orientations has had a profound impact on all facets of LGBT psychology. In commemoration of her contribution, the division offers this award for distinguished contribution by an ally in the areas of research, clinical practice, education and training, public advocacy, mentorship and/or leadership.
Annual deadline: March 30
Please send nominations electronically to Div. 44. Include a CV and a nomination letter that addresses the nominee's qualifications for the award.
2018
Cirleen DeBlaere, PhD
2016
Kelly Ducheny, PsyD
2015
Roger L. Worthington, PhD
2013
Amity Pierce Buxton
2012
Judith Kovach
2011
For her dedication to using research to improve the lives of LGBT people of Michigan, this award goes to Dr. Judith Kovach of the Michigan Project for Informed Public Policy.
2011
Brent Mallinckrodt, PhD, University of Tennessee.
2010
Gerald C. Davison, PhD - The Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally goes to Gerald C. Davison. Jerry is Professor of Gerontology and Psychology at the University of Southern California, Dean of the Davis School of Gerontology, and Executive Director of the Andrus Gerontology Center. He is also holder of the University’s William and Sylvia Kugel Dean’s Chair in Gerontology. Previously he was at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Among his numerous publications are two “citation classics” and many of us have used his text, Abnormal Psychology, co-authored with Kring, Neale, and Johnson, as instructors or students.
We honor Jerry today, however, not for his extensive research and scholarship but for an act of personal courage. Thirty five years ago, he took a historic step that was instrumental in bringing about much that has happened in psychology’s support of LGBT issues. In his 1974 presidential speech at the American Association for Behavior Therapy, he took the position that conversion programs for gay men and lesbians should be terminated even when the patient makes the request. He made the argument not on empirical grounds — for it doesn’t matter whether one can actually alter sexual orientation—but instead on moral and political grounds. At the time, this was a revolutionary step to take.
This speech was published as a lead article in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, an impactful refereed APA journal, with three invited critiques by leading colleagues: Davison, G.C. (1976). Homosexuality: The ethical challenge. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, 157-162. A critique by Sturgis and Adams followed, accompanied by an invited rejoinder: Davison, G.C. (1978). Not can but ought: The treatment of homosexuality. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 170-172. An extended rendition of the argument was the basis of an invited talk at a conference at the University of Nevada, Reno, for the founders of behavior therapy. It appeared in a book of the proceedings: Davison, G.C. (2001). Values and constructionism in psychological assessment: Some historical and personal perspectives on behavior therapy, in W.O. O’Donohue, S.C. Hayes, J.E. Fisher, D. Henderson, & L.J. Hayes (Eds.), A History of the Behavioral Therapies: Founders’ Personal Histories. (pp. 337–357). Reno, NV: Context Press.
At the time Jerry originally presented the argument in 1974, he was one of the first and among the very few health professionals who took this position, and he did so even though many friends and colleagues cautioned him not to. Many said he was taking a serious professional and even personal risk. Nonetheless, he elected to offer his suppositions because he believed that most patients in conversion programs were being harmed and that societal prejudice against homosexuality was being maintained, in large part, by the fact that the mental health professionals offered conversion treatment.
Over the past 35-plus years the landscape has changed considerably. Much more effort is now being devoted to supporting homosexuality as a legitimate way of life and addressing the problems that some sexual minorities may have rather than the socalled problem of homosexuality. Jerry’s 1974 address and his further writings were an important turning point for psychology and the psychological treatment of lesbian and gay individuals. If we had listened then, some countless number of souls may have been saved from the ravages of reparative therapy and be leading healthy, prideful lives today. Dr. Davison is to be truly commended for his actions in raising our awareness of the harmful effects of conversion therapy at such an early date and encouraging professionals in the proper treatment of individuals presenting with concerns about gay and lesbian life. His stance has clearly enhanced the health and well-being of lesbian and gay people and we are proud to honor him with the Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally.
2009
Marvin B. Goldfried, PhD — For almost fifty years, Marv Goldfried has been a major figure in behavior theory and therapy. He received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and has spent most of his professional career at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has an outstanding record of publications and presentations, including being editor or co-editor of five books, author of one, and co-author with Davidson of the classic Clinical Behavior Therapy. His research has ranged from early behavior theory and therapy to psychotherapy integration, and over the last decade he has brought his scholarship to bear on LGBT studies and issues.
A major and distinguished contribution to LGBT concerns is Dr. Goldfried's founding of AFFIRM: Psychologists Affirming Their Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Family. AFFIRM connects the parents, families, and loved ones of LGBT individuals in a context of support and positive social change and has grown to over 650 members. Perhaps the most unusual character and extraordinary achievement of AFFIRM has been to gather among its leadership many of the most prominent researchers on psychotherapy, who together constitute a mighty bulwark of research and scholarship extending accurate information about LGBT families and persons. The importance of such research in promoting pro-gay legislation and public policy would be hard to exaggerate.
But, beyond the research, AFFIRM is more typically known for advocacy, education, and networking among other professional organizations for LGBT families and persons. Dr. Goldfried is eminently deserving of this Award and rightfully joins the ranks of Evelyn Hooker herself in inspiring the work of other psychologists on LGBT issues.
2008
Letitia Anne Peplau — Especially on the inauguration of this award, no more fitting colleague could be named than Dr. Letitia Anne Peplau. Dr. Peplau has been Professor of Psychology at UCLA since 1973 and published her first of many articles on sexuality in 1978. Interestingly, this article received the Evelyn Hooker Research Award from the National Gay Academics Union in 1979.
Dr. Peplau has continued to be a leader in the field of lesbian and gay studies. Her major focus has been on same-sex relationships, beginning with lesbians in 1980 and gay men in 1981. Over the past quarter century she has studied such relationship issues as relationship satisfaction, the balance of power, monogamy, African American lesbians and gay men, bisexuality, reasons for relationship terminations, and sexual risk. In addition, she has focused on lesbian mothers, psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men, social support, the development of sexual orientation, disclosure of sexual orientation, body satisfaction, and stigma management. She has well over 100 publications, with a majority focusing on sexual orientation.
Dr. Peplau has had a major role mentoring the next generations of lesbian, gay and bisexual students. She collaborated with many students at a time when LGBT students would have had a hard time finding psychologist advisors and mentors willing to engage in sexual orientation research. Many of these students have since gone on to academic careers themselves and now mentor their own LGBT students.
Dr. Peplau has served on thirteen editorial boards of journals and book series, including the Journal of Homosexuality, the journal Sexuality Research and Social Policy and the Columbia University Press Series on Lesbian and Gay Studies. She has also served on the Placek Research Award Review Committee, was a member of the Fellows Selection Committee of Division 44, and was a member of the Working Group on Same-Sex Families of APA. In all of these tasks, she has supported the work of others working on LGBT issues.
In sum, Dr. Peplau is an outstanding choice as the inaugural recipient of the Evelyn Hooker Award for Distinguished Contribution by an Ally. She is an ally who has affirmed LGBT research so that countless psychologists and other academics could follow in her footsteps.