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Advocacy & Policy:

IPsyNet Statement and Commitment

On June 27, 2018, IPsyNet representatives of member organizations from around the world introduced the IPsyNet Statement and Commitment at the International Congress of Applied Psychology in Montreal, Canada. The document represents a growing global consensus of professional authority grounded in psychological science concerning sexual and gender minority people. It advocates for development of and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, or sexually and gender diverse people (LGBTIQ+) affirmative and inclusive treatment as well as service provision, and states that psychology as a science and a profession has expertise based on decades of research demonstrating that LGBTIQ+ identities and expressions are normal and healthy variations of human functioning and relationships. It states that LGBTIQ+ identities and orientations do not require interventions to change them and condemns discrimination on the basis of intersecting minority identities within and beyond the LGBTIQ+ population. It affirms that endorsing organizations provide psychological knowledge to psychological networks, organizations, policymakers, the media, and the public, and calls for greater awareness of the health and well-being needs of LGBTIQ+ people to improve public policy and LGBTIQ+ communities.

 

At the time of introduction, 17 psychology organizations representing all major regions of the world endorsed the document. Other psychological and mental health organizations are welcome to endorse the document also and will be added to the list of endorsing organizations. There are currently one international, two regional, and 43 national endorsing psychology organizations. For more information about the IPsyNet Statement and Commitment, or to inquire about endorsing it, please email IPsyNet.

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In December 2019, the IPsyNet Statement and Commitment and a cover memo (PDF, 148KB) was submitted to the United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in response to Call for Inputs for a report on “conversion therapy” for the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Suggested citation

International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues. (2018, June). IPsyNet statement on LGBTIQ+ concerns. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ipsynet/advocacy/policy/statement-commitment

 

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer rights are human rights

 

Groundbreaking IPsyNet statement provides a unified call to affirm human rights and end discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people around the world.

 

Psychology International, July 2018

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Note: PDFs of the PsyNet Statement and Commitment are updated with additional endorsements as they become available, with the URLs remaining the same.

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Available languages​​

Organizational endorsements

International

  • Association for Contextual Behavioral Science

Regional

  • European Federation of Psychologists Associations

  • Interamerican Society of Psychology/Sociedad Interamericana de Psicología

National

Albania

  • Order of Psychologists of Albania

Australia

  • Australian Psychological Society

Bangladesh

  • Bangladesh Psychological Association

Brazil

  • Brazilian Association of Teaching of Psychology/Associação Brasileira de Ensino de Psicologia

  • Brazilian Association of Legal Psychology/Associação Brasileira de Psicologia Juridica

  • Brazilian Association of Psychotherapy/Associação Brasileira de Psicoterapia

  • Brazilian Association of School and Educational Psychology/Associação Brasileira de Psicologia Escolar e Educacional

  • Brazilian Institute of Psychological Evaluation/Instituto Brasileiro de Avaliação Psicológica

  • Federal Council of Psychology/Conselho Federal de Psicología

  • National Association for Research and Graduate Studies in Psychology/Associação Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-graduação em Psicologia

  • National Coordination of Psychology Students/Coordenação Nacional de Estudantes de Psicologia

Cameroon

  • Cameroon Chamber of Actors in Psychology/Chambre Camerounaise des Acteurs en Psychologie

Canada

  • Canadian Psychological Association/Société Canadienne de Psychologie

Chile

  • Psychologists Association of Chile / Colegio de Psicólogos de Chile, Comisión de Género y Diversidad Sexual

Colombia

  • Colombian College of Psychologists/Colegio Colombiano de Psicólogos

Czechia 

  • Czech-Moravian Psychological Society/Českomoravská Psychologická Společnost 

Germany

  • Association for Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Intersexual and Queer People in Psychology/Verband für lesbische, schwule, bisexuelle, trans*, intersexuelle und queere Menschen in der Psychologie (VLSP*)

  • German Psychological Society/Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie

Guatemala

  • Guatemalan Psychological Association/Asociación Guatemalteca de Psicología

Hong Kong SAR

  • Hong Kong Psychological Society

Hungary

  • Hungarian Psychological Association, LMBTQ Section/Magyar Pszichológiai Társaság

Lebanon

  • Lebanese Psychological Association

Netherlands

  • Dutch Association of Psychologists / Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen

New Zealand

  • New Zealand Psychological Society

Norway

  • Norwegian Psychological Association/Norsk Psykologforening

Philippines

  • National Association for Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino)

  • Psychological Association of the Philippines

Poland

  • Association for Contextual Behavior Science Polska

  • Polish Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy / Polskie Towarzystwo Terapii Poznawczej i Behawioralnej

  • Polish Psychologists' Association / Stowarzyszenie Psychologów Polskich

  • Polish Society for Dialectical Behavioral Therapy / Polskie Towarzystwo Terapii Dialektyczno Behawioralnej

Portugal

  • Order of Portuguese Psychologists/ Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses

Puerto Rico

  • Puerto Rico Psychological Association/Associacion de Psicologia de Puerto Rico

South Africa

  • Psychological Society of South Africa

Spain

  • Spanish Psychological Association/Colegios Oficiales de Psicologos

Taiwan

  • Taiwan Counseling Psychology Association

  • Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union

  • Taiwan Guidance and Counseling Association

United Kingdom

  • British Psychological Society

United States

  • American Psychological Association

  • Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies

  • National Latinx Psychological Association

Uruguay

  • Coordinator of Psychologists of Uruguay/Coordinadora de Psicólogos del Uruguay

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