American Psychological Association 2010 meeting to feature new research into same-sex couples' relationships

WHAT: The American Psychological Association's 2010 meeting will include a full program of sessions summarizing the areas of research that have been key in recent same-sex marriage court cases and other legal decisions supporting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Sessions will feature the latest scientific research into same-sex couples' relationships and family formation among lesbian, gay and bisexual people, as well as the effect of sexual stigma on individuals and families. Experts will explain how the most recent scientific evidence and legislation support same-sex marriage and adoption and counter prejudice and discrimination.

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 13, 8:00 AM - 8:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 14, 8:00 AM - 1:50 PM

WHERE: San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, Calif. 92101. All sessions are in Meeting Room 2, Upper Level.

BACKGROUND: APA has been a strong advocate for full equal rights for LGBT people for nearly 35 years, based on the social science research on sexual orientation. APA has supported legal benefits for same-sex couples since 1997 and civil marriage for same-sex couples since 2004. APA has adopted policy statements, lobbied Congress in opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act and the Federal Marriage Amendment, and filed amicus briefs supporting same-sex marriage in legal cases in Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, New York (three times), Maryland, Connecticut, Iowa, and California. In California, the APA brief was cited by the state Supreme Court when it ruled that same-sex marriage was legal in May 2008.

8:00 - 9:50 AM
Opposing Discriminatory Legislation and Initiatives Aimed at LGB Persons
Douglas Kimmel, PhD, Stacey Prince, PhD, Judith M. Kovach, PhD, Jo Linder-Crow, PhD, and Erica H. Wise, PhD

10:00 - 10:50 AM
APA's Role in the Battle for Marriage Equality: Bringing the Research to the Courts
Paul M. Smith, JD, and Nathalie F. P. Gilfoyle, JD

11:00 - 11:50 AM
Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples: Science and the Legal Debate - Part I
Carol D. Goodheart, EdD, and Gregory Herek, PhD

12:00 - 1:50 PM
Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples: Science and the Legal Debate - Part II
Ilan H. Meyer, PhD, Letitia A. Peplau, PhD, Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD, and M.V. Lee Badgett, PhD

2:00 - 3:50 PM
Proposition 8 and Gay Marriage: Clinical Research and Economic Perspectives
Adam W. Fingerhut, PhD, Jamie F. Wilkinson, BS, Beverly Greene, PhD, Christopher Carpenter, PhD, and Robert-Jay Green, PhD

4:00 - 4:50 PM
Intersection of Law, Policy, and Scholarship in Gay Rights Debate
Gregory M. Herek, PhD, R. Bradley Sears, JD, and Scott M. Malzahn, JD

5:00 - 5:50 PM
In Their Own Voices: LGBT Activists on Marriage and Gay Rights
Moof Mayeda, BA, Carlos Marquez, BA, and Fernando Lopez, BA

6:00 - 8:30 PM
Workshop: Psychological Responses to Political Threat - Individual and Community Interventions
Clinton Anderson, PhD, and Glenda Russell, PhD

8:00 - 9:50 AM
Same-Sex Marriage: Impacts, Strategies, and New Directions
Douglas Kimmel, PhD, Nathan G. Smith, PhD, Sharon G. Horne, PhD, Sharon S. Rostosky, PhD, Glenda M. Russell, PhD, and M. V. Lee Badgett, PhD

10:00 - 10:50 AM
2020 Vision-Winnings: The Freedom to Marry This Decade
Evan Wolfson, JD

11:00 AM - 12:50 PM
Religion and Sexuality: Screening of For the Bible Tells Me So
Adam W. Fingerhut, PhD

1:00 - 1:50 PM
Religion and Sexuality: Discussion of For the Bible Tells Me So
Joseph W. LaBrie, PhD, Daniel Karslake, BA, and David M. Frost, PhD