Rockway Institute In the News

Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues - A Division of the American Psychological Association

Division 44 Invited Address by Robert-Jay Green “Antigay Groups: Using Our Professional Expertise to Counter Their Propaganda" Division 44 Newsletter Volume 23, Number 2, Summer 2007

Antigay groups have slowed progress toward LGBT equal rights through their effective disinformation campaigns and political advocacy activities. Many of their oft-repeated assertions are based on pejorative stereotypes that have been refuted by psychological research. This invited address will profile the rise of these antigay groups over the last 30 years and describe the beginnings of a nationwide effort to confront their false claims as well as to proactively educate the American public about the realities of LGBT life. Psychologists who are experts on LGBT issues can play a central role in these efforts by: (1) Conveying accurate psychological information about LGBT issues to the news media; (2) Contributing to the development of LGBT-affirmative legislation and providing expert testimony at legislative hearings; (3) Serving as expert witnesses in court cases that set legal precedents on LGBT issues; and (4) Actively consulting with local community organizations (such as schools, churches, workplaces, healthcare settings) about programs/policies that negatively effect or could improve the well-being of LGBT persons.

Although excellent work is being done in all of these areas by very talented individual psychologists around the country and by the APA Public Interest Directorate, a new national strategy for organizing these efforts and learning from one another—as well as including professionals from other disciplines—is being launched now. This invited address is intended to stimulate your imagination about how you can use your existing expertise about LGBT issues to inform public opinion and policies at the local and national levels.

Robert-Jay Green, PhD, is Founder and Executive Director of the Rockway Institute for LGBT Research & Public Policy, and Distinguished Professor in the APA-Accredited Clinical Psychology PhD program at the California School of Professional Psychology, now a part of Alliant International University, San Francisco Campus. Among his many publications are the co-edited books, Lesbians and Gays in Couples and Families, and Family Therapy: Major Contributions. In 1998, he received the award for “Significant Contributions to the Study of Family Diversity” from APA’s Division 43 (Family Psychology). He is a Fellow of APA Divisions 44 and 43.

LGBT Media Training for Psychologists before APA Convention

GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and the Rockway Institute (a national center for LGBT research and public policy) are offering a FREE MEDIA TRAINING on LGBT issues to take place Thursday, August 16, 2:30– 5:30 P.M. (the day before the APA Convention). This timing was selected to enable APA members from the East Coast to take flights early that morning and still arrive in time to participate in our media training, and attend the full APA convention. GLAAD is the LGBT community’s major link to the media, serving a watchdog function when LGBT issues are inaccurately reported in the news or in entertainment shows. It has a long history of providing media training to representatives of the LGBT community in preparation for television, radio, and print media interviews. The special training on August 16 will be geared specifically toward preparing psychologists (researchers and practitioners) to convey their expertise about LGBT issues to the public via the media. It will be led by Cindi Creager (GLAAD’s Director of National News) and by Robert-Jay Green, Ph.D. (Executive Director of the Rockway Institute and a professor in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the California School of Professional Psychology).

We are in the process of arranging optional Continuing Education units for some portion of this media training from an APA-Approved CE sponsor. If these units are approved, there would be some charge from the CE sponsor for those who wanted the units. Please register early if you want to guarantee a space in this unique media training geared especially for psychologists. Because there are no Division 44 CE events before the APA convention this year and because this media training should be fun as well as highly informative, we’re expecting a strong turnout.

For further information about the two organizations offering this media training, please visit their Web sites: www.GLAAD.org and www.RockwayInstitute.org.

To Register for This Training: Go to the following Internet address, and complete the registration form online:
fs8.formsite.com/AlliantUniv/form668031064/index.html . We will send confirmation of your registration. Please make a note of the time and address of the media training now. The location is easily accessible from the APA convention hotels.

Time: Thursday, August 16, 2007, 2:30–5:30 P.M.

Location: Rockway Institute, California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, 1 Beach Street (directly across from Pier 39), San Francisco, CA 94133-1221; e-mail: rockway@alliant.edu; telephone: 415-955-2115.