PSY-6206 v3

Ahuja, A., Ortega, S., Belkin, A., & Neira, P. M. (2019). Trans in the United States military: Fighting for change. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 23(1), 3–26.
Ahuja, Ortega, Belkin, and Neira outline rationale and efforts to advocate for Transgender individuals in the military. This article is included in this week’s readings because, while advances in LGBTQ+ rights have progressed in modern history, Transgender individuals continue to experience new and unique discrimination in different spheres of personal and public life.

Horne, S. G., Maroney, M. R., Nel, J. A., Chaparro, R. A., & Manalastas, E. J. (2019). Emergence of a transnational LGBTI psychology: Commonalities and challenges in advocacy and activism. American Psychologist, 74(8), 967–986.
Horne, Maroney, Nel, Chaparro, and Manalastas provide an overview of advocacy efforts across different countries. Readers will be exposed to similarities and differences in advocacy strategies and understand how different strategies may be adapted to provide culturally competent LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Mazid, I. (2020). Virality of social change messages on Facebook: A study of advocacy and relationship building strategies of LGBTQ advocacy organizations. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 14(2), 105–121.
Mazid reviewed the use of social media as an advocacy tool used by LGBTQ+ organizations. This article demonstrates more modern approaches to advocacy and how social media may be used in advocacy efforts.

Sloan, C. A., & Shipherd, J. C. (2019). An ethical imperative: Effectively reducing SGM disparities utilizing a multi-level intervention approach. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(2), 239–242.
Sloan and Shipherd discuss the integral role that advocacy must play in work with LGBTQ+ populations. They demonstrate how advocacy efforts can complement traditional individual-level approaches to reducing health disparities among individuals who identify as sexual minorities.

Willging, C. E., Harkness, A., Israel, T., Ley, D., Hokanson, P. S., DeMaria, C., Joplin, A., & Smiley, V. (2018). A mixed-method assessment of a pilot peer advocate intervention for rural gender and sexual minorities. Community Mental Health Journal, 54(4), 395–409.
Willging et al. describe an innovative strategy for addressing barriers to treatment by using peers to provide interventions within a rural context. New directions in LGBTQ+ advocacy necessitate a focus on multiple cultural identities, and this article discusses the combined influence of rural residence and LGBTQ+ identity on treatment needs.