Committees

The goal of the Committee on Bisexual Issues (BIC) is to foster discussion, scholarship and advocacy related to bisexual+ issues in psychology within Division 44.

Chairs: Dakota Leget and Mia Semelman

The mission of the Committee on Children, Youth, and Families is to bolster the health and wellbeing of sexual and gender diverse children, youth, and families by supporting our members and our community directly. The committee can work towards this mission by working in areas including, but not limited to, education, training, policy, and advocacy.

Chairs: Margaret Manges and Cathy Forbes

The Committee on Mentoring develops strategies for increasing student and ECP involvement in the division, to change the perception of the division as a closed group which is hard to enter, to open up the division to fresh ideas and new faces, and to keep newly active members involved so that we continually groom leadership for the division in future years. The committee coordinates the annual Graduate Student Mentoring Workshop and Reception (co-sponsored with APAGS CLGBTC) as well as an ECP Networking Program during the APA convention. We also serve as a liaison between Division 44 and APAGS CLGBTC. The committee sponsors the Committee on Mentoring Student Travel Award to the APA Convention to encourage greater participation in the Division 44 annual convention activities by LGBTQ graduate students.

Chair: Bek Urban and Anna Gilmour

CoRED's mission is to increase the diversity of the division by representing the concerns of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities of color and providing information on these issues to the members at large. Of particular concern to the committee is the intersection of Ethnic Diversity and LGBT concerns and supporting professionals and students personally and professionally. The Committee meets annually at APA in the division suite and the Chair attends Executive Committee meetings. The committee sponsors the Dr. Richard A. Rodriguez Division 44 Student Travel Award to the APA Convention to encourage greater participation in Division 44 annual convention activities by LGBT students of color.

Chairs: Jeffrey Brown and Allie Laurie

The Committee for Transgender People and Gender Diversity explores how the psychological profession and Division 44 might best meet the needs of transgender people and gender diversity through advocacy, scientific research and professional training and education. The committee sponsors the annual Transgender Research Award to further the advancement of research on issues of relevance to transgender people and gender diversity.

Chairs: Ellen Magalhaes and Em Matsuno

The role of the Communications Committee is to increase the effectiveness of the Division's communication with its members, and its public face to the field of psychology. The committee maintains social media accounts, and manages Division 44 Listservs and website updates.

Coordinator: Brandie Brazell

The committee on Consensual Non-Monogamy promotes awareness and inclusivity about consensual non-monogamy and diverse expressions of intimate relationships. These include but are not limited to: people who practice polyamory, open relationships, swinging, relationship anarchy and other types of ethical, non-monogamous relationships.

Finding love and/or sexual intimacy is a central part of most people’s life experience. However, the ability to engage in desired intimacy without social and medical stigmatization is not a liberty for all. This committee seeks to address the needs of people who practice consensual non-monogamy, including their intersecting marginalized identities.

The goal of the committee is to generate research, create resources and advocate for the inclusion of consensual non-monogamous relationships in the following four areas:

• Basic and applied research
  
• Education and training
  
• Psychological practice
  
• Public interest

Chairs: Michelle Vaughan and Jared Boot-Haury

This committee works with the division president and EB to plan and execute fundraising campaigns to benefit the division financially. Activities of this committee can include, for example, speaking with potential or past donors, advocating with or applying to potential foundations for funding and overseeing general division fundraising campaigns consistent with the rules outlined by APA’s Division Services Office. The fundraising dinner coordinator is a member of this committee, as well as other volunteers from among the Executive Committee.

Chair: TBD

The Diversity in Aging Committee raises awareness of psychological issues in the adult development and aging of LGBT individuals. It promotes scientific research and education on LGBT aging as well as the dissemination of such relevant information to psychologists, students, and the general public. The committee seeks to accomplish this mission through efforts to support and facilitate LGBT aging research, the sponsorship of LGBT aging related programs at the APA annual convention, encouraging the inclusion of LGBT aging research in scholarly publications, promoting representation of LGBT aging issues in related areas of psychological study through liaison with other APA divisions and facilitating Division 44 liaison to the APA Committee on Aging.

Chair: Katherine King

The committee advocates for LGBT-affirmative policies in psychology education and training. Although official statements of the American Psychological and many other professional associations now make it clear that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and also encourage, even require, members to affirm lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender identities, some professionals and members of the public do not agree with these positions. The Education and Training Committee seeks to employ an educational approach in combating regressive and repressive opinions both within the profession and the general public. Please visit the Resources and Advocacy section for a list of readings about LGBT issues in education and training. Individuals wishing to apply for listing as trainers may also contact the committee chair.

Chair: Gregory Shrader

The Fellows Committee assists division members who have made unusual and outstanding contributions to the psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity to achieve the status of fellow in APA. For a description of how to apply for fellow status, information about our most recently elected fellows, and a list of all Division 44 fellows with links to their websites, please see the Division 44 fellows page.

Co-Chairs: Melissa Grey and Sharon Horne

The overall aim of the Finance Committee is to provide oversight to the Division 44's finances and recommendations to the EC on potential corrective or new avenues for the budget or finances. The committee examines and periodically reviews the budget, financial forecasts, and anticipated funding streams, and makes recommendations to the full EC for changes to the management or operation of the division's finances.

Chair: Jennifer Vencill

This committee is charged with developing the membership base and representing membership interests before the Executive Committee. Maintaining current members, adding new members, and addressing the needs and interests of members are continual issues for the Membership Committee. Information about joining is available on the Participate in Division 44 page.

Chair: TBD

The Program Committee is responsible for the Division's programming at the annual APA Convention. The committee develops a program representing current research and scholarship on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender psychology, and is also responsible for the Division's hospitality suite at Convention. The hospitality suite provides a place for LGBT conference attendees and those interested in LGBT issues to gather, socialize, exchange ideas, and network. Please see our APA Convention website for information about Division 44 programming.

Co-chairs: Margaret Manges and Rachel Chickerella

The Public Policy Committee responds to LGBT issues in the larger political sphere as they arise and responds where we have the resources to do so. This includes providing materials and consultations to government officials and psychologists in states that are facing anti-LGBT ballot issues, engaging in letter-writing on a variety of matters. We aim to determine collectively what issues we might address as they evolve and to craft responses that are in the best traditions both of a commitment to positive social change and adherence to the best scholarly practices of the discipline.

Chairs: Kim Skerven and Jared Boot-Haury

The Religion and Spirituality Committee was created to encourage a confluence between sexual minority orientations and identities and religious experiences. It further attempts to create affirmation and acceptance for LGBT individuals of faith within theologically diverse ideological traditions. Given the importance of faith and even religious tradition in the lives of many LGBT individuals, the Committee seeks to reduce theological barriers often separating sexual minorities from the sources of their beliefs.

The committee seeks to accomplish its objectives by:

• Creating professional and public dialogues between various religious and sexual minority constituencies.
• Preparing materials for dissemination to faith-based groups and organizations that present a religiously affirming LGBT perspective.
• Encouraging the presentation of research that addresses the interface between religion and sexual orientations and identities.
• Advocating for the inclusion of curricular standards within training programs that address the psychology of religion, as well as working with LGBT populations within these frameworks.
• Developing affirming religious resources for therapists to use with sexual minority clients and families.
• Framing public policy initiatives that affirm both religion and the lives of LGBT individuals.

Co-chairs: Darren Freeman-Coppadge, Dani Rosenkrantz and Jeff Paulez

The Science Committee strives to encourage high quality research on sexual orientation and transgender issues. The committee aims to advance production and visibility of outstanding research by providing resources for students and both new and experienced researchers, playing a role in research-related programming and awards at the APA Convention, facilitating connections among individuals who conduct sexual orientation and transgender research, and stimulating dialogue about issues germane to sexual orientation and transgender research, including substantive, methodological, and political issues. To learn more about the science of LGBT psychology, please visit the LGBT psychology resources page.

Chairs: Cindy Veldhuis