Midyear Meeting | Program | Housing | Blurring Boundaries | Materials

Workshop on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues

Washington, D.C.
June 5 - 7, 2014

Why Attend?

2013 was an important year for issues concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Supreme Court issued rulings in Hollingsworth v. Perry and U.S. v. Windsor that have broad implications for sexual minorities, as does the earlier repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell." But these developments have raised as many questions as they resolved, and the reverberations from them will continue to shape the landscape for many years. At the same time that marriage equality is spreading through the U.S. and other countries, many states and countries still retain laws that negatively impact on sexual minorities and our families. The majority of countries in the world and half the states in the U.S. provide no protection against discrimination based on sexual minority status, and the federal government does not prohibit this discrimination. Bullying and suicide continue to plague LGBTQ youth, and religious liberty continues to be offered as a basis for discriminatory action. Additionally, scholars and activists are writing about sexual orientation and gender identity from many perspectives and challenging many of the constructs that limit individuals’ freedom to express their sexuality and identity in creative, autonomous ways.

This multi-day workshop will assemble respected scholars, experts, clinicians, and practitioners to explore these and other issues, and to reflect on recent developments impacting sexual minorities in our quickly changing world. For example, one plenary will focus on after Windsor/Perry and where liberation movements will go following these important, but incomplete, decisions. Other plenaries will discuss engaging with religion and public accommodation; anti-discrimination laws; youth and sexuality; identity and beyond; and new frontiers. In addition, most plenaries will include practitioners and advocates in order to encourage more dialogue between scholars, teachers, and practitioners. We also plan two types of concurrent sessions that will consist of presentations of completed articles and works-in-progress. The workshop will also include a reception and informal social events to give attendees time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Please join us!