The social and political issues pertaining to LGBT persons have evolved rapidly over the past few decades around the world. Some countries (e.g., the Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Argentina) have made significant advancements on promoting human rights and equity of LGBT persons, whereas others (e.g., Russia, Uganda, Indonesia) still allow for severe discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. This presentation highlights these global LGBT issues, and discusses how psychology plays a critical role in the LGBT movement. The global LGBT issues discussed will include legality of LGBT persons and same-sex relationships, work and other discrimination, hate crimes and rights to marriage and parenthood. The presenter synthesizes and critiques the contributions of LGBT psychology to these social and political issues (e.g., normality of LGBT persons and behavior, consequences of discrimination and hate crimes to LGBT persons and society, outcomes of LGBT marriage and parenthood). Finally, the presenter proposes an agenda for future training, research, practice and advocacy in LGBT psychology. This agenda calls for more international collaboration and advocacy, to further advance international movements on LGBT psychology and the well-being of LGBT persons.

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Participant 1

Y. Barry Chung, PHD
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

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Address

Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology
Indiana University

W.W. Wright Education Building, Room 4056

201 N. Rose Avenue

Bloomington, IN 47405

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U.S. Psychological Science, LGBT Human Rights and Ethics in an International Context

Sexuality crosses all boundaries, affects all persons and nations. It brings into play fundamental beliefs about reproduction, marriage, family, gender, women, men and children, and the roles of religion, law and ethics in understanding all of these. Further, in this world of instant communication, political boundaries are meaningless. Consequently, how sex is understood, expressed and regulated in one region carries profound implications for others. This is perhaps most evident in the w0ys understanding of LGBT sexuality is changing in the Western world and is impacting LGBT lives in other countries.

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This paper will consider how psychological and biological research on LGBT sexuality is changing how it is understood, expressed and regulated globally. It will consider how the intersection of law, sexual ethics, human rights and research in an international context is challenging accepted paradigms of human sexuality.

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Participant 2

Armand R. Cerbone

Independent Practice

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Address

3625 North Paulina

Chicago, IL 60613

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Homophobia and Sexual Discrimination in Latin America: A Review of Research

As the world is more globalized and frontiers are constantly more diffused, some sectors of society have the need to underline differences and establish distance from these differences. This seems to be observed in the levels of social exclusion and rejection that members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities receive. From a perspective of evidence based practices and human rights, this presentation address the current state of research on sexual discrimination in Latin America. Individual and institutional homophobia is presented as a key element for discrimination. It is discussed that gender transgression is also a fundamental element for the justification of hate that might lead to homicide. The need for psychology to develop ethical standards for interventions in these communities is presented.

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Participant 3

José Toro-Alfonso, PhD
University of Puerto Rico

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Address

Professor

Department of Psychology

College of Social Sciences

PO Box 23345

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931

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An Emerging Cultural Cold War? Narratives of LGBT Global Activists in Postcommunist and African countries

This presentation focuses on the psychological experiences of LGBT activists in postcommunist and African countries (i.e., Russia, Lithuania, Hungary, Ukraine, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Guyana, South Africa) where anti-LGBT laws and policies have become mechanisms for political movements. Activists were chosen for qualitative interviews if they were from high to extreme risk countries (World Human Rights Index, 2013); were out and visible in their local communities as LGBT activists (e.g., they had appeared in public forums or in media as LGBT activists); and identified as LGBT. We sought diversity in sexual and gender identity, and conducted in-person and telephone interviews with gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results of the analysis were framed in terms of three broad areas: (1) development of LGBT activist identity resulting from other arenas of activism (e.g., violence against women, worker’s rights, environmental activism), (2) psychological dimensions and characteristics (e.g., personal responsibility; compulsion to action; early childhood initiative) and (3) specific challenges of LGBT activism in a postcommunist and/or African context (e.g., the pressure of conformity; the historical backdrop of incarceration and censure for activism; the exploitation of the threat of Western norms and values to benefit those in power). We describe the development of a potential cultural cold war with LGBT and women’s rights at the center of debate. Narratives from activists provide a rich understanding of the complexity of LGBT issues in these regions.

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Coauthors

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• Heidi M. Levitt, PhD, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Emily E. Wheeler, MS, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Shannon Peters, BA, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Meredith Maroney, BS, University of Massachusetts Boston

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Discussant 1

Neal S. Rubin, PhD

Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Chicago

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Address

2701 Woodland Road

Evanstown, IL 60201

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Participant 4

Sharon G. Horne, PhD

University of Massachusetts Boston

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Address

Department of Counseling and School Psychology

Boston, MA 02125