Mission Statement
Our mission is:
(1) To advance the contributions of psychology as a discipline to the understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues through basic and applied research
(2) To promote education and training in matters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, including special issues associated with practice, research, education and training, and the public interest
(3) To promote the development and delivery of affirmative psychological services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
(4) To use psychological knowledge to advocate for the advancement of the public interest and the welfare of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
(5) To inform the general public about research, education and training, practice, and advocacy on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues
Description
We are a division within the American Psychological Association. As our website indicates, our division is "psychology's focal point for research, practice, and education on the lives and realities of LGBT people." The division was established in 1985 by psychologists who were concerned about the unethical treatment of lesbians and gay men by mental health professionals and researchers. We welcome all those interested in psychological research, education and training, practice, and advocacy on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues and all lesbian women, gay men, bisexual women, bisexual men, transgendered people, and their allies.
Our organization is run entirely by volunteers, and includes a structure of elected officers and committees that focus on different LGBT-related issues (e.g., public policy, education and training, mentoring, science). Through this structure, our division supports projects such as developing guidelines for psychotherapy with LGB clients, contributing to amicus briefs in same-sex marriage court cases, surveying former military officers regarding effects of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, and stimulating high quality research on LGBT issues. Our division also works to make sure that LGBT issues are represented in a fair and balanced manner in the profession of psychology (including the American Psychological Association itself).
