Our communities are under attack

By Orgullo Latinx: Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Special Interest Group (SIG) of the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA)

Recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation directed at sexual and gender diverse youth and their families in the U.S. stand in direct contrast to our professional ethics as mental health providers and researchersopens in new window. Currently in the U.S. there are over 70 bills and legislationsopens in new window targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly trans and gender expansive people, making 2021 and possibly 2022 the most anti-trans legislative years in U.S. history.

Special attention by the media has recently highlighted two specific attacks:

Legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ people, especially youth and their families, do significant harm to our Latinx communities. At least 25% of the population in Arizona, Florida, and Texas identified as Latinx/Hispanic in the 2020 U.S. Census. And in these states, there are also legislative attacks against immigrants and people of color that also hurt our communities.

Our stand/positionality

We, members of the Orgullo Latinx: Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Special Interest Group (SIG) of the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA), stand with sexual and gender minoritized youth and their families. We denounce these legislative attacks as another systemic attempt to erase our existence. We stand with experts in medicalopens in new window and psychological associations, whose research and practice have continuously demonstrated that gender affirming care for youth improves their mental and physical well-being. We stand with educators and parents who put children first by providing safe spaces for youth to genuinely, freely and openly be their authentic selves. Gender affirming care saves lives, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislative attacks are a direct threat to our livesopens in new window; these are not opinions, they are facts.

We join medical,opens in new window psychological and legal associations around that nation that similarly have already denounced these attacks on the LGBTQ+ communities, specially those targeting children and their families.

We name the stress, fear and anxiety that these continuous legal attacks can generate at the individual, interpersonal and collective level, and we stand firm in our commitment to support and advocate for our LGBTQ+ communities. We applaud the bravery of children and their familiesopens in new window who are currently resisting and protesting the abuse of power behind these mandates and legislations.

Call for action for NLPA leadership and membership

We call on all NLPA members to actively fight against these legislative attacks, particularly in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. We ask that NLPA members contact their local, state and national representatives and ask them to strike down these legislations and honor LGBTQ+ youth. We ask, if possible, to donate to civil and legal organizations that support these communities with resources, housing and legal protection. These resources are posted below.

Finally, we ask clinicians and practitioners serving LGBTQ+ communities to actively support and advocate against the legal oppression many within this community are currently experiencing, especially gender expansive adults youths and their families. For those in Psychological Practice, here are the current practice guidelines for LGB personsopens in new window and for Trans and Gender Diverse personsopens in new window.

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NLPA Orgullo Collective for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

*Aldo Barrita, MA; Sam Del Castillo, MA; Taymy J. Caso, PhD; James J García, PhD; Roberto L. Abreu, PhD; Kevin Delucio, PhD; Laura Minero, PhD; Alison Cerezo, PhD.

*all authors equally contributed and actively participated as 1st-authors

Our communities are under attack

Our stand/positionality

Call for action for NLPA leadership and membership

NLPA Orgullo Collective for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

Resources