June is LGBTQ Pride Month, marked by marches and commemorations to celebrate LGBTQ culture

and advocate for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in the U.S.

and around the world.

This year, President Biden marked the occasion with an official proclamation that touted progress

on issues such as marriage and workplace equality, but it also called out areas

where LGBT rights are being threatened, including in dozens of states where legislators have introduced

bills this year targeting transgender youth. The focus of LGBTQ activism has evolved over the years

with the issues and political pressures of the day, from the HIV-AIDS crisis

in the 1980s, to the militaries Don't Ask, Don't Tell Rule in the 1990s, to the fight for

marriage equality in the early 2000s, and the focus on transgender rights today. How has

psychological research reflected and responded to these changes? How has it contributed to the

public discussion of prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities? When has it

helped and when has it hindered the drive toward equality for LGBTQ people, especially

in the United States? What role has it played in moving the needle in the fight for

LGBTQ rights, especially in our courts.

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Peter Hegarty, a professor of psychology at the Open University in the United Kingdom, where he studies the history of sexuality and gender in psychology.

His 2018 book, A Recent History of Lesbian and Gay Psychology, from homophobia to LGBT, Trace is the psychological research on these issues since the 1970s. He was also guest editor of a special issue of APA's journal American Psychologist, entitled 50 Years Since Stonewall,

The Science and Politics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.

In addition to his work in the history of psychology, he conducts experimental research in areas including auditory Gaydar and how beliefs about

the biological basis of sexual orientation influence prejudice and discrimination. Thank you for

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