From this participant's perspective, APA 2020 Virtual was successful in so far as it provided an online opportunity for the presentation of high-quality scholarly papers, the Division 44 Presidential Address and Awards, interactive discussions of selected presentations, and committee meetings via Zoom. It was also much less expensive, both in terms of registration fees and the cost of attending a physical meeting. In addition, the pre-recorded presentations remain available until next year, so that once registered, we can view any of them. I was impressed by the technical quality of the ones I viewed, whether a single talk or a panel presentation with each presenter in their own living space. The presenters are to be commended for their work in this new online environment and APA as well for organizing and developing the technology.
For me, as an early division president, the “breakfast” meeting of past-presidents was a highlight, as we were able to assemble in a private Zoom meeting from our living rooms and catch up with each other. This year we had 14 present to celebrate the Division's 35th anniversary. I was especially pleased to have a chance to visit with Olivia Espin, who had been confined to her San Diego apartment, depending on neighbors to do shopping, and having only a view of the building's parking lot from her balcony. For me, her secluded experience epitomized the impact of this COVID-19 virus on the pioneers of the LGBTQ+ movement.
As you will read in the next article, Gary Howell gave a remarkable Presidential Address, combining his powerful personal story of growing up with a single mother and his rise to the leadership of the Division with the compelling need for support of the most marginalized among us: transgender women of color (TWOC), many of whom daily face a variety of high-risk challenges, including the high incidence of murder. It was impressive to hear about Gary's plans for APA to take a lead in this challenge by forming an APA Task Force to address violence against TWOC. In recognition of the work being done in support of TWOC by the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, he presented this organization the Division's 2020 Presidential Citation; see the article on Division Awards for the photo of Lacey Lynch, the Director of Development and Finance at the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, who accepted the citation on behalf of the agency.
Of course, the most important function of APA conventions of the past was not possible: the opportunity to meet one another in person, to hug, and chat and, to recharge our emotional batteries for the challenges ahead. Let us hope that APA 2021 will again be an in-person convention.
As with the AIDS epidemic, I think that psychology must take the lead in promoting the behavior change that is required to protect against this terribly impactful virus, even when a vaccine is developed.
