The other APA (the psychologists) has now commented on the appointment of Ken Zucker to the psychiatrist’s APA DSM task force.
American Psychological Association
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 336-5700
[email protected]
Statement on Gender Identity Disorder and the Planned Revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
May 2008
There has been some recent confusion regarding the American Psychological Association and work being done on the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The DSM is a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, not the American Psychological Association (APA). Questions regarding the DSM-V and the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group should be directed to the American Psychiatric Association.
For many years, the American Psychological Association has worked to end discrimination, including discrimination based on sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. APA is committed to taking a leadership position among the mental health professionals, scientists and scholars who are addressing the issues surrounding gender identity and transgenderism. APA formed a task force in 2005 to study gender identity and gender variance. This group has been reviewing both the scientific literature and APA policies related to these issues and developing recommendations for education, training, practice, and further research.
The task force has completed a report that is slated to be presented to APA’s governing Council of Representatives in August. It will make a series of recommendations, including that APA call upon psychologists to provide appropriate, nondiscriminatory treatment to all transgender and gender-variant individuals. It is expected that the Council will adopt the report and its recommendations.
The task force did not take a position with regard to the gender identity disorder diagnosis because there was no consensus among its members. Indeed, there is no consensus among professionals working in the field; reputable scientists continue to disagree about GID. Regardless of the disagreement concerning the GID diagnosis, there is a need for greater consensus on treatment of gender dysphoria. The task force strongly supports the development of practice guidelines for transgender clients.
APA believes that no psychological disorder should be stigmatized or used as the basis for discrimination. People who are concerned about issues having to do with their gender identity should have access to appropriate and non-discriminatory treatment. Mental health providers need to educate themselves about how to provide such care.
Responses to Possible Questions:
Q.What is the American Psychological Association’s position with regard to the appointment of Dr. Kenneth Zucker and Dr. Ray Blanchard to the work group reviewing GID? Are you actively working to have them removed?
A. APA is pleased that well-qualified psychologists who are also members of APA have been included in the leadership of this aspect of the DSM revision. We are also aware that there are substantive disagreements in the field over the GID diagnosis and over the treatment of gender dysphoria. We call on this group and others working on the new DSM to apply the highest professional standards in reviewing the science and we encourage the careful consideration of all legitimate perspectives.
Q.Why did the American Psychological Association allow Dr. Kenneth Zucker to be part of its task force on gender identity?
A. APA’s Task Force on Gender Identity was given a very specific charge — to complete a review of the research literature on gender identity and transgenderism and to make recommendations based on that review. Nominations to the Task Force were widely sought and appointments to the task force, including that of Dr. Zucker, were made through a very thorough review process based on an individual psychologist’s research, clinical expertise and experience. As is the case with all APA task forces, the final work product is grounded in the strongest, peer-reviewed science available and undergoes a rigorous review process within the APA governance structure before it can become APA policy. Ultimately, what becomes APA policy must be well-grounded in science not individual opinion.
UPDATE – Elsewhere the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement reviewing the credentials of Dr. Zucker, which are impressive indeed.
Summer wrote: Ok listen first of all transgenderism and homosexuality are no where near alike. There is a big difference and I personally am very offended by the thought of anyone thinking that it is because it is not. People who are transgendered feel like they are trapped in the opposite sex’ body and it is extremely difficult to cope with while a homosexual is someone who is attracted to someone of the same gender as them.
So this “Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender” community is total make believe? What makes you feel so personally offended? That someone might think you are the “wrong” gender, or the “wrong” sexual orientation? What if I told you that I don’t care whether you call me “April” or “Adam”? Just let me marry Peter and let me be me? The discrimination against L,G,B,&T people is all based on majorities’ assumptions that God made XX=F, XY=M, and only XX+XY=OK. They’re wrong, just like they were about Earth=Center of Universe.
Ok listen first of all transgenderism and homosexuality are no where near alike. There is a big difference and I personally am very offended by the thought of anyone thinking that it is because it is not. People who are transgendered feel like they are trapped in the opposite sex’ body and it is extremely difficult to cope with while a homosexual is someone who is attracted to someone of the same gender as them.
I’m sorry, until he speaks directly on the trans-community’s concerns, I simply won’t be at ease. As Boo said, the gay population may feel safe now, but I certainly don’t. I’ve already had to sue/threaten to sue/take general legal action just to get health insurance, if they do anything more to ‘help’ me I may end up even worse off.
I think it should put most people’s fears to rest regarding Dr. Zucker
Gay people’s maybe, but despite what HRC might have you think, cisgendered homosexuals aren’t the only ones who matter. Not to mention that Zucker’s got a history of talking out of both sides of his mouth on this, as documented in the comments section here:
//2008/05/12/apa-issues-statement-regarding-gid-and-the-dsm-v/
I don’t mean to make this thread a vehicle for my favorite quotes regarding this issue – but I culled this from the Gay City News article on the subject – and I think it should put most people’s fears to rest regarding Dr. Zucker:
“Seeking to calm the fears, the APA issued a statement on May 9 that explained what the working groups would and would not do. On May 13, Dr. Jack Drescher, an out gay psychiatry professor at New York Medical College and a member of the Zucker working group and the Cohen-Kettenis sub-working group, wrote in a widely circulated email, “There is absolutely no possibility that the diagnosis of homosexuality will be put back into the DSM. Anyone who tells you that it can be, could be, would be, or will be put back in, knows not of what they speak!”
In interviews with the gay press dating back to 1997, Zucker distanced himself from the practitioners of reparative therapy and he has won praise from some gay psychologists and psychiatrists.
Zucker has worked with roughly 540 children with GID, aged two to 12, and followed roughly 90 long-term. The most common outcome is that the boys grow up to be gay and the girls are lesbian or bisexual.
“For boys, the majority are gay,” he said in a May 13 phone interview. “For girls, it’s more equally distributed between lesbian/bisexual versus heterosexual.””
This is one of my favorite quotes:
The task force did not take a position with regard to the gender identity disorder diagnosis because there was no consensus among its members. Indeed, there is no consensus among professionals working in the field; reputable scientists continue to disagree about GID. Regardless of the disagreement concerning the GID diagnosis, there is a need for greater consensus on treatment of gender dysphoria. The task force strongly supports the development of practice guidelines for transgender clients.
Nope – read the first part again…
the last pg says APA (the psych one) is having him on task force, I think thta is a typo.
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com