Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Working Group

Working Group members:

• Jiří Procházka, CZ
• Ivo Procházka, CZ
• Karen L. Blair, St. Francis Xavier University
• Julie M. Koch, Oklahoma State University
• Rhea Ashley Hoskin, Queen’s University
• Mechthild Kiegelmann, Karlsruhe University of Education
• Juan A Nel, University of South Africa
• Adam Jowett, Coventry University

With our growing knowledge about sexual and gender minority identities, psychologists and other scholars from neighboring disciplines have become increasingly sensitive towards psychological, health, and health care needs of these populations. In order to further our understanding of various psychological issues, health disparities, and challenges to well-being in diverse sexual minority and gender identity populations, we offer a concrete and mutually interlinked subsection on sexual orientation and gender identity. The priorities of this subsection are to build a network of researchers in various fields that are mutually interconnected by their interest in psychological issues that relate to sexual orientation and gender identity. Various psychological and other approaches are invited. This section will give the opportunity for scholars and researchers but also for policy-makers to discuss conceptual and methodological issues regarding both common and specific needs of concerned populations that, when unrecognized, often lead to differences in health, well-being and health care among sexual and gender minorities.

Core topics

• Minority stress, stigma, and other related psychological issues concerning non-heterosexual, trans and intersex people
• Coping and heteronormativity, coming-out, non-heterosexual developmental psychology
• Bisexuality and Pansexuality
• Intersections of gender(s) and sexuality(ies) with geographical, cultural and religion contexts
• Discrimination / Anti-LGBTI violence
• HIV / AIDS, syndemic approaches
• Integrated health practices
• Internet / Virtual communities - new threats and new opportunities
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender resilience
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sexology
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender counselling and psychotherapy
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Relationships / Marriage / Family / Parenting
• Transgender people and issues
• Intersex people and issues
• Polyamory
• Intersections of LGBTQI status and other identities
• Non-binary populations