Division 44 history highlights:
1973
A group of lesbian and gay male psychologists organized a group called the Association of Gay Psychologists (AGP) during the California Psychological Association meeting. The group held a meeting during the annual APA Convention later that year in Montreal. The group, consisting of 75–100 people, about 20 percent women, developed a list of eight "demands" that Stephen Morin, who had been elected chair, delivered to Albert Bandura, President of APA.
1975
In response to the "demands" of AGP, the APA Council approved the creation of a Task Force on the Status of Lesbian and Gay Male Psychologists, which met until 1979. It also endorsed the action of the American Psychiatric Association of removing homosexuality from the list of mental disorders and "urged psychologists to take the lead in removing the stigma long associated with homosexuality."
1980
APA Council formed the Standing Committee on Gay Concerns. (The committee changed its name to the Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns in 1985 and to the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns in 1996. In 2005, it changed its name to the Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns. In 2015, it changed its name to the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.)
1981
The first meeting of a task force to organize an APA division was held in the office of Martin Rocklin in Los Angeles and continued until 1983.
1983
The task force voted to reorganize itself as the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian and Gay Issues and formed an executive committee that organized the petition to join APA as a division. The required 550 signatures were obtained in June 1984.
1984
APA Council, in a vote of 80–26, with 8 abstentions, voted to admit the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian and Gay Issues as Division 44 of APA, effective January 1985.
1985
Division 44 held its first mid–winter meeting of the Executive Committee, Stephen F. Morin, chair, and held its first APA Convention program and elections for officers of the division.
1993
The National Association of Lesbian and Gay Psychologists, the successor to AGP, dissolved after hosting APA convention suite activities, political training events, and conducting surveys of APA presidential candidates since 1973; most of its functions were now done by Division 44.
1997
Division 44 changed its name to the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues.
2009
Division 44 changed its name to the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues.
2012
Division 44 decided to have an APA journal and appointed John Gonsiorek editor in 2013.
2017
Division 44 changed its name to the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.
Division 44 presidents
- 1985
Stephen F. Morin - 1985–86
Kristen A. Hancock - 1986–87
Douglas C. Kimmel - 1987–89
Laura S. Brown - 1988–89
Alan K. Malyon [resigned] - 1989–90
Adrienne J. Smith - 1990–91
Jeffery M. Rehm - 1991–92
Connie S. Chan - 1992–93
John C. Gonsiorek - 1993–94
Oliva M. Espin - 1994–95
Armand R. Cerbone - 1995–96
Robin A. Burhke - 1996–97
Douglas C. Haldeman - 1997–98
Christine M. Browning - 1998–99
Steven E. James - 1999–00
Esther D. Rothblum - 2000–01
Terry S. Gock - 2001–02
Sari H. Dworkin - 2002–03
James S. Fitzgerald - 2003–04
Judith M. Glassgold - 2004–05
Michael R. Stevenson - 2005–06
Charlotte J. Patterson - 2006–07
Christopher R. Martell - 2007–08
Ruth E. Fassinger - 2008–09
Randy J. Georgemiller - 2009–11
Bonnie R. Strickland - 2010–11
Charles Silverstein [resigned] - 2011–12
Mark Pope - 2012–13
Arlene Noriega - 2013–14
Michael L. Hendricks - 2014–15
Connie Matthews - 2015–16
Allen M. Omoto - 2016–17
Kimberly Balsam - 2017–18
David Pantalone - 2018–19
Margaret Rosario - 2019–20
Gary Howell - 2020–21
Mira Jourdan - 2021–22
Richard A. Sprott - 2022–23
Christina A. Patterson - 2023–24
Gregory Sarlo - 2024–25
Eleanor McCabe - 2025–26
G. Nic Rider