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Advocacy & Policy:

Psychology, advocacy and public education

Resources for psychology organizations seeking to improve the health and human rights of sexual orientation and gender diverse people.

Public education efforts can take many forms. Opportunities for psychology organizations can range from producing fact sheets and brochures to formal public responses to policy issues and more.  

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Individual psychologists can work on their own or together to organize grassroots community outreach activities such as workshops and seminars, and participate in a local, national, regional and global initiatives to raise the visibility of what psychology and psychologists have to contribute to the improve health and human rights of sexual orientation and gender diverse people.

Advocacy and Public Education by Organized Psychology

Australia

Cameroon

Colombia

Germany

  • Pedo-sexuality and sexual violence against children and adolescents
    A position paper that considers the meanings of pedo-sexuality, pedophilia and sexual violence against minors, a perspective of the legal context and of current findings concerning the motivation of offenders and health implications for infantile and adolescent victims of sexual violence, and the latest state of the art concerning a therapeutic approach of people with a pedosexual orientation. Abstract in English and German, paper in German. By the Verband für lesbische, schwule, bisexuelle, trans*, intersexuelle und queere Menschen in der Psychologie.

Hungary

  • Resolutions
    Includes: Declaration of the LGBTQ Section of the Hungarian Psychological Association in connection with the conference titled “Broadening Perspective on Same-Sex Attractions”
    A response to a conference held in the country to promote sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts.

Ireland

Lebanon

Puerto Rico

  • Comité de Asuntos de la Comunidad LGBT: Asociación de Psicología de Puerto Rico. El Comité Permanente de Asuntos de la Comunidad de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Transgéneros (LGBT) tiene como tarea y misión servir como grupo asesor de la presidencia de la Asociación de Psicología de Puerto Rico (APPR) en lo concerniente al trabajo de la APPR sobre lesbianas, gays, bisexuales y transgéneros.

South Africa

United Kingdom

United States

American Psychological Association

  • Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation & Homosexuality: A brochure from the APA Office of Public Communication, in collaboration with the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, answering basic questions about sexual orientation, homosexuality, and listing some of the available resources. Available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, Russian and Spanish.

  • Answers to Your Questions About Transgender People, Gender Identity and Gender Expression: A brochure from the APA Office of Public Communication in collaboration with the Task Force on Gender Identity, Gender Variance, and Intersex Conditions, and the Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, answering basic questions about transgender people and issues and listing some of the available resources. Available in Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, Russian and Spanish.

  • When LGBT People Face Forced Migration or Torture, What is the Role of Psychology? Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their human rights concerns have become increasingly visible around the world. As awareness grows, and as more people come out by choice or are outed by others, reactions to these populations play out in ways both favorable and appalling. In response to the human impact of all of this there is a growing literature on how to work with and protect the individuals affected. There is also increasing attention to training for graduate students, forensic psychologists and other scientists, and clinicians, on working with displaced, escaping or physically and psychologically victimized LGBT people.

American Psychiatric Association

  • Homosexuality as a Mental Disorder Simply Not Backed Up by Science
    Letter from American Psychiatric Association President Renée Binder, MD, and Saul Levin MD, MPA, to the leadership of the Indonesian Psychiatric Association (IPA) urging them to reconsider their classification in March 2016 of homosexuality as a mental disorder and statements that such individuals can be cured with “proper treatment.”

Civil Society

  • A Brief Overview of Advances in LGBT Mental Health Advocacy in Lebanon
    Fattal, Omar, MD, MPH; Mahmoud, Hossam, MD; Bazzi, Lama, MD
    Harvard Review of Psychiatry: July/August 2018 - Volume 26 - Issue 4 - p 237–240 
    doi: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000169 
    LGBTQ Mental Health

  • The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) theme for 2016 is mental health and well-being. IDAHOT was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policy makers, opinion leaders, social movements, public opinion, the media, etc. to homophobia and transphobia, and to promote a world of tolerance, respect and freedom regardless of people's sexual orientation or gender identity. May 17 was chosen to commemorate the decision made by the World Health Organization in 1990 to take homosexuality out of the list of mental disorders. As much as it is a day against violence and oppression, it is a day for freedom, diversity and acceptance.

  • OutRight Action International: OutRight Action International (formerly the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission) is a leading international organization dedicated to human rights advocacy on behalf of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

  • The Courage Unfolds Campaign and video:  Highlights the issues faced by LGBT people in Asia and encourage the use of the Yogyakarta  Principles as a tool to promote LGBT human rights.

  • The International Lesbian & Gay Association (ILGA): The International Lesbian & Gay Association's aim is to work for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and their liberation from all forms of discrimination. ILGA is comprised of 690 member groups from 110 countries. The ILGA homepage has an interactive map that allows visitors to research the status of laws globally, both favorable and unfavorable, that affect LGBT people.

Research

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