 |
|
APA resolves to play leading role in improving treatment for gender-variant people
August 18, 2008Gender identity task force calls for nondiscriminatory guidelines, better research and training
BOSTON - The American Psychological Association urged psychologists today to take a leading role in ending discrimination based on gender identity, calling upon the profession to provide "appropriate, nondiscriminatory treatment to all transgender and gender-variant individuals" and encouraging more research into all aspects of gender identity and expression.
The action came at APA's Annual Convention when the association's governing Council of Representatives adopted a resolution supporting full equality for transgender and gender-variant people. The resolution also calls on APA to:
* support legal and social recognition of transgender individuals consistent with their gender identity and expression;
* support the provision of adequate and medically necessary treatment for transgender and gender-variant people;
* recognize the benefit and necessity of gender transition treatments for appropriately evaluated individuals;
* call on public and private insurers to cover these treatments.
In addition to adopting the wide-ranging resolution, the Council of Representatives received a report by APA's Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance. The six-member task force spent more than two years reviewing the scientific literature, as well as APA policies regarding transgender issues. It was also charged with developing recommendations for education, professional training and further research into transgenderism, and proposing how APA can best meet the needs of psychologists and students who identify as transgender or gender-variant.
Noting that transgender people, their families, friends and employers are increasingly turning to psychologists for help, "this trend underscores the need for psychologists to acquire greater knowledge and competence in addressing transgender issues," the report states.
Among the report's recommendations:
* APA should encourage training programs and graduate internships to welcome and support transgender and gender-variant people;
* APA should develop separate practice guidelines for transgender clients;
* APA should encourage more research into gender identity and expression, including the reliability and validity of diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorders;
* APA should advocate for antidiscrimination protection for transgender people in jurisdictions that lack such laws.
With regard to research, the task force listed a series of recommended areas of focus, including social stigma and public attitudes toward gender identity; identity development, including prospective studies of children and adolescents; the process and outcome of transgender-specific health care; and the variables associated with the efficacy of sex reassignment.
As a direct result of the task force's work, APA added gender identity to its nondiscrimination policy earlier this year. This builds upon prior adoption of gender identity nondiscrimination language in APA's bylaws, Code of Ethics and its Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation of Professional Programs in Psychology.
In addition, the task force developed a brochure, Answers to Your Questions about Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity (http://www.apa.org/topics/transgender.html), which APA published in 2006 and has made available on its Web site.
The task force recommended that APA take no position with respect to the diagnosis of gender identity disorder, which is sometimes required for transgender clients to obtain needed care. "Psychologists who work with clients with gender identity issues are not of one mind on this issue," task force members wrote. They noted that the psychiatric profession publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which contains GID, "and thus revision is their responsibility."
The report noted that APA has previously adopted resolutions discouraging psychologists from using diagnoses that are potentially harmful or discriminatory. "Accordingly, if there were evidence showing the GID diagnosis to be similarly harmful and discriminatory against gender-variant, transgender or transsexual people, there would be a precedent for a resolution discouraging psychologists from using this diagnosis," the task force wrote. "However - there is a great deal of disagreement about the GID diagnosis and whether it is helpful or harmful; therefore, the Task Force does not recommend that APA take a position on GID at this time."
American Psychological Association
* support legal and social recognition of transgender individuals consistent with their gender identity and expression;
* support the provision of adequate and medically necessary treatment for transgender and gender-variant people;
* recognize the benefit and necessity of gender transition treatments for appropriately evaluated individuals;
* call on public and private insurers to cover these treatments.
In addition to adopting the wide-ranging resolution, the Council of Representatives received a report by APA's Task Force on Gender Identity and Gender Variance. The six-member task force spent more than two years reviewing the scientific literature, as well as APA policies regarding transgender issues. It was also charged with developing recommendations for education, professional training and further research into transgenderism, and proposing how APA can best meet the needs of psychologists and students who identify as transgender or gender-variant.
Noting that transgender people, their families, friends and employers are increasingly turning to psychologists for help, "this trend underscores the need for psychologists to acquire greater knowledge and competence in addressing transgender issues," the report states.
Among the report's recommendations:
* APA should encourage training programs and graduate internships to welcome and support transgender and gender-variant people;
* APA should develop separate practice guidelines for transgender clients;
* APA should encourage more research into gender identity and expression, including the reliability and validity of diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorders;
* APA should advocate for antidiscrimination protection for transgender people in jurisdictions that lack such laws.
With regard to research, the task force listed a series of recommended areas of focus, including social stigma and public attitudes toward gender identity; identity development, including prospective studies of children and adolescents; the process and outcome of transgender-specific health care; and the variables associated with the efficacy of sex reassignment.
As a direct result of the task force's work, APA added gender identity to its nondiscrimination policy earlier this year. This builds upon prior adoption of gender identity nondiscrimination language in APA's bylaws, Code of Ethics and its Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation of Professional Programs in Psychology.
In addition, the task force developed a brochure, Answers to Your Questions about Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity (http://www.apa.org/topics/transgender.html), which APA published in 2006 and has made available on its Web site.
The task force recommended that APA take no position with respect to the diagnosis of gender identity disorder, which is sometimes required for transgender clients to obtain needed care. "Psychologists who work with clients with gender identity issues are not of one mind on this issue," task force members wrote. They noted that the psychiatric profession publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, which contains GID, "and thus revision is their responsibility."
The report noted that APA has previously adopted resolutions discouraging psychologists from using diagnoses that are potentially harmful or discriminatory. "Accordingly, if there were evidence showing the GID diagnosis to be similarly harmful and discriminatory against gender-variant, transgender or transsexual people, there would be a precedent for a resolution discouraging psychologists from using this diagnosis," the task force wrote. "However - there is a great deal of disagreement about the GID diagnosis and whether it is helpful or harmful; therefore, the Task Force does not recommend that APA take a position on GID at this time."
American Psychological Association
Gender Identity Current Events and Gender Identity News RSSWhat's eating the breadwinners?
New study gives snapshot of female breadwinners' thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Confronting health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth
Research indicates that the social stigma that surrounds lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens leads to a variety of health risks such as substance use, risky sexual behaviors, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and victimization.
"Go to the doctor? Only if I'm really sick-"
African American men could be putting their health at risk by avoiding disease screening, in the belief that the results might threaten their masculinity.
Psyched out by stereotypes: IU research suggests thinking about the positive
In a new study, cognitive scientists have shown that when aware of both a negative and positive stereotype related to performance, women will identify more closely with the positive stereotype, avoiding the harmful impact the negative stereotype unwittingly can have on their performance.
Parents' sexuality influences adoption choices
A couple's sexual orientation determines whether or not they prefer to adopt a boy or a girl. Gay men are more likely to have a gender preference for their adopted child whereas heterosexual men are the least likely.
Are women more generous? New study sheds light on donation behavior
Why would women give more to the victims of Hurricane Katrina than to the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research sheds light onto the way gender and moral identity affect donations.
Counselors should target discrimination and be advocates for transgender clients
Two University of Oregon doctoral students dove into issues of transgender identities -- in the workplace and professional counseling -- and surfaced with a call for psychologists and vocational counselors to not only treat but to act as advocates for their clients -- and to help end discrimination in the workplace.
Bisexuality not a transitional phase among women, according to new research
Bisexuality in women appears to be a distinctive sexual orientation and not an experimental or transitional stage that some women adopt "on their way" to lesbianism, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Vaginal reconstruction not needed for most inter-sex females, Hopkins study shows
Dispelling a common myth, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center say vaginal reconstruction should be a matter of preference for most teens or adult women born with a type of inter-sex condition marked by the presence of both female and male genitals.
Sex hormone signature indicates gender rather than just chromosomes
Help with assigning gender could one day be at hand for intersex individuals whose genital phenotypes and sex chromosomes don't match, thanks to the discovery of a stable sex hormone signature in our cells.
More Gender Identity Current Events and Gender Identity News Articles
 |
Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity by Matt Bernstein Sycamore (Editor) Nobody Passes is a collection of essays that confronts and challenges the very notion of belonging. By examining the perilous intersections of identity, categorization, and community, contributors challenge societal mores and countercultural norms. Nobody Passes explores and critiques the various systems of power seen (or not seen) in the act of “passing.” In a pass-fail situation, standards for acceptance may vary, but somebody always gets trampled on. This anthology seeks to eliminate the pressure to pass and thereby unearth the delicious and devastating opportunities for transformation that might create. Mattilda, aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore, has a history of editing anthologies based on brazen nonconformity and gender defiance. Mattilda sets out to ask the question, “What... |
 |
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert (Author), Rex Ray (Author) Every night, Bailey dreams about magical dresses: dresses made of crystals and rainbows, dresses made of flowers, dresses made of windows…Unfortunately, when Bailey’s awake, no one wants to hear about these beautiful dreams. Quite the contrary: “You’re a BOY!” Mother and Father tell Bailey. “You shouldn’t be thinking about dresses at all.” Then Bailey meets Laurel, an older girl who is touched and inspired by Bailey’s imagination and courage. In friendship, the two of them begin making dresses together. And Bailey becomes the girl she always dreamed she’d be! This gorgeous picture book—a modern fairy tale about becoming the person you feel you are inside—will delight people of all ages. “I... |
 |
Boy V. Girl?: How Gender Shapes Who We Are, What We Want, and How We Get Along by George, Ph.D. Abrahams (Author), Sheila Ahlbrand (Author) What is gender, anyway? What are gender roles, and who defines them? What are gender stereotypes, and why do they make our lives so difficult? What does it really mean to be a boy or a girl? Each day, in countless ways, gender shapes who we are, what we can become, and how we relate to others. BOY V. GIRL? invites young readers to examine the issues, weigh the facts, and overcome gender barriers to make the most of friendships, school, extracurricular activities, and the future. The results of a nationwide survey of nearly 2,000 teens and preteens reveal what gender means in kids' everyday lives. A look at TV, movies, music, and advertising helps make kids more media-savvy. Activities and journaling exercises encourage readers to explore their experiences, notice what... |
 |
Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide (It Happened to Me) by Cynthia L. Winfield (Author) The book examines what is meant by sex and gender - from typical gender roles and stereotypes, through those who transcend the usual categories of male and female. In addition to historical and factual information, teen voices and popular media's depictions of gender issues are included. "Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide" is written for all teens with an interest in gender - what it is, how it is expressed - especially those teens questioning their own (or a friend or family member's) gender identity. Straight (heterosexual) and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) youth, and the adults who live and work with them will want to read it, as well as educators, counselors, school board members, and parents. |
 |
Gender Dilemmas in Children's Fiction by Kerry Mallan (Author) This engaging study examines diverse genders and sexualities in a wide range of contemporary fiction for children and young people. Mallans insights into key dilemmas arising from the texts treatment of romance, beauty, cyberbodies, queer, and comedy are provocative and trustworthy, and deliver exciting theoretical and social perspectives. |
 |
Handbook of Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders by David L. Rowland (Author), Luca Incrocci (Author) Complete coverage of The Handbook of Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders provides authoritative coverage of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of three major DSM-IV-TR classifications of sexual disorders and gender identity disorders: sexual dysfunctions, gender identity disorders, and paraphilias/atypical sexual behaviors. The first internationally contributed handbook of its kind, this practical guide provides mental health professionals as well as medical professionals with the latest information in the understanding and treatment of sexual problems and gender identity related disorders. Covering both the medical and mental health related aspects of sexual dysfunctions and gender identity disorders, topics covered include: * Male sexual arousal... |
 |
Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Routledge Classics) by Judith Butler (Author) Since its publication in 1990, Gender Trouble has become one of the key works of contemporary feminist theory, and an essential work for anyone interested in the study of gender, queer theory, or the politics of sexuality in culture. This is the text where Judith Butler began to advance the ideas that would go on to take life as "performativity theory," as well as some of the first articulations of the possibility for subversive gender practices, and she writes in her preface to the 10th anniversary edition released in 1999 that one point of Gender Trouble was "not to prescribe a new gendered way of life [...] but to open up the field of possibility for gender [...]" Widely taught, and widely debated, Gender Trouble continues to offer a powerful critique of heteronormativity and of the... |
 |
The Brandon Teena Story (Collector's Edition) Starring: Brandon Teena, John Lotter Directed By: Susan Muska, Greta Olafsdottir Also With: Susan Muska (Cinematographer), Susan Muska (Editor), Greta Olafsdottir (Cinematographer), Greta Olafsdottir (Editor), Lorrie Morgan (Composer), The Brown Brothers (Composer) To his girlfriends he was the perfect boyfriend. To his killers he was a gender-bending freak. To the law he got what he deserved. Ultimately Brandon Teena became an American tragedy.When it arrived on the big screen in 1988 THE BRANDON TEENA STORY was powerful intense and intimately personal--audiences were stunned and outraged by this chilling portrait of intolerance. The inspiration for the Oscar®- winning film Boys Don't Cry the documentary went on to be an international theatrical hit and has since earned status as one of the seminal documentary films of the 1990s.System Requirements:Running Time: 88 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/BIOGRAPHY UPC: 767685114773 Manufacturer No: NNVG114771 |
|
Counseling Youth & Gender Identity Issues: A Preventive Approach [VHS] Starring: Jim Burns | |
 |
Him/Her/Self: Gender Identities in Modern America by Peter G. Filene (Author) When first published in 1975, Him/Her/Self was a pathbreaking book. At a time when scholars were just beginning to explore women's history, Peter Filene expanded his inquiry to include both both genders. He was the first to claim the men, too, had a history grounded in gendered experience. Since then much has changed, not only in the lives and attitudes of American men and women, but in the ways that historians think about gender. But Him/Her/Self remains the only book that analyzes the interactions between American men and women comprehensively during the past century. In this third edition, Filene brings his concise and forceful analysis of 20th-century gender history up to the present. He describes the new men's movements of the 1980s and 1990s, ranging from pro-feminist to... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |