The Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA) represents over 600 psychologist members across the state of Washington. In doing so, we recognize and value the many varied ways in which the discipline and principles of psychology are practiced, and we cherish the diversity of our membership. Across this diversity, we are all united by ethical and scientific principles that guide us in our lives and work. We keep these principles in mind today as we celebrate 2021 Pride Month and our LGBTQIA2S+ members and Washingtonians.
As part of this celebration, we specifically acknowledge the passing of the Gender Affirming Treatment Act (SB 5313), which prohibits the Washington State Healthcare Authority and all managed care plans operating within our state from denying coverage for medical treatment on the basis of gender identity, and for revisions improving access to gender-affirming care. WSPA supported this bill and those who fought tirelessly for its passage, and the positive impact it will have on healthcare for transgender and nonbinary patients in Washington.
While we recognize the achievement of SB 5313, we must also acknowledge the continued rise of anti-transgender legislation in the United States. In 2020, there were 79 anti-transgender bills introduced in state legislatures. In 2021, 33 states introduced more than 100 bills that target the health, safety, and rights of transgender people across the country. These legislative efforts run counter to scientific evidence detailing the benefits of affirming care and harms of discrimination, and they are a threat to the lives and well-being of transgender people. As psychologists, advocates, and anti-oppression activists, we unequivocally affirm that we stand against legislation and policy that enables anti-transgender discrimination. As providers of mental healthcare, we also have a responsibility to speak out against the practice of gender identity change efforts by mental health clinicians.
Affirming care for transgender and gender nonbinary people has long been the standard of care endorsed by the interdisciplinary World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH; 2012). This standard of care is grounded in scientific evidence of the life-saving importance of such care. These principles are also documented in the psychology-specific guidelines for practice with transgender people (APA, 2015a). These affirming guidelines are aligned with our discipline’s overall mission to serve a diverse public (APA, 2015b), and contemporary psychological science on gender identity (APA, 2009b). We know that sexual identity change efforts (i.e., techniques used by mental health providers intended to change a person’s sexual identity) can cause great harm to patients, who benefit significantly from practices that affirm and support sexual identity (APA, 2009a). The same is true for gender identity change efforts, which are associated with an increase of serious and dangerous mental health symptoms while supportive, responsive, and affirming care for people across the gender spectrum is clearly shown to benefit patients who receive it (APA, 2021). Transgender, gender nonbinary, and gender identities in all their many expressions are healthy manifestations of identity and do not warrant therapeutic intervention simply for existing. WSPA will continue to work actively to ensure these identities and the people who hold them are respected by us, our members, and those who practice the discipline of psychology.
To transgender, gender nonbinary, and people of all genders: We firmly commit to provide the affirming care that well-established science and our professional ethics demand.
To our colleagues both within and outside of psychology: We will continue intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration to provide the care our patients deserve, and when this requires us to challenge ourselves and each other, we will rise to this challenge. Many of us are transgender and gender nonbinary ourselves, and we commit to respecting this important fact of our work.
To those who propose anti-transgender legislation: We will continue to advocate ardently for science-informed policy, justice, and dignity; and we will continue to actively oppose legislative efforts that target the health, wellbeing, and freedom of Washingtonians based on gender identity.
We stand in solidarity with national mental health professional organizations that also uphold the empirical support and ethical imperative for gender-affirming care. This includes the American Psychological Association (APA), other state psychological associations fighting discriminatory legislation, and other mental health and healthcare worker organizations within Washington State.
References
- American Psychological Association. (2009a). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation. https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf
- American Psychological Association. (2009b). Report of the task force on gender identity and gender variance. https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/policy/gender-identity-report.pdfÂ
- American Psychological Association. (2015a). Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. American Psychologist, 70(9), 832-864. https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/transgender.pdf
- American Psychological Association. (2015b). Serving a Diverse Public. https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/diversity-preparation?tab=2
- American Psychological Association. (2021, February). APA resolution on gender identity change efforts. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-gender-identity-change-efforts.pdfÂ
- World Professional Association for Transgender Health. (2012) Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender- Nonconforming People. https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc
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