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LGBTQ+ Leaders

This gallery highlights the history of the APA’s Board of Trustees’ 1973 decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder in DSM-II. The courageous advocates displayed in this gallery were dedicated to supporting this change as well as raising awareness about issues that affected the mental health of gay, lesbian, and bisexual populations.

The former task force, which served from 1978 to 1981, was replaced by this Committee on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues in 1981. The committee was charged to investigate problems and issues that affect the mental health of the gay, lesbian, and bisexual populations, such as stigmatization and discrimination; develop teaching programs to help correct the inadequate training of psychiatrists about homosexual issues; establish liaisons with other components regarding homosexual issues; and promote the education of the APA membership and the public about homosexuality.

LGBTQ+ Leaders

John Fryer Award

The John Fryer Award, established in 2005, honors an individual who has contributed to improving the mental health of sexual minorities. The award is named for Dr. John Fryer, a gay psychiatrist who played a crucial role in prompting APA to review the scientific data and to remove homosexuality from its diagnostic list of mental disorders in 1973. (This lecture began in 2006)