2024 AGLP Annual Meeting Reflection: Building Community and Advancing LGBTQ+ Psychiatry Through Connection
As part of PRMS’ ongoing efforts to support the behavioral healthcare community and to promote the organizations that work towards this mission, we are pleased to highlight the AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists (AGLP) and Dr. Emma Banasiak and Dr. Chaden Noureddine as our featured guest bloggers. Drs. Banasiak and Noureddine share more about their time attending AGLP meetings.
Building Professional Connections and Friendships Through AGLP: A Journey in LGBTQ+ Psychiatry
Our paths first crossed at an AGLP: The Association of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists event during the 2022 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, halfway across the country from home. As fellow New Yorkers with a shared passion for LGBTQ+ psychiatry, we quickly discovered our common background – a passion for child and adolescent psychiatry and mutual dedication to advancing mental health care within the LGBTQ+ community. The AGLP programming hosted over the course of the conference provided us with the perfect platform to connect further and unify our interests.
What began as a professional connection soon blossomed into a close friendship, fueled by our shared experiences and goals. Dr. Banasiak has even been to Dr. Noureddine’s wedding! Through AGLP, we’ve not only built a strong personal bond but also found the opportunity to collaborate on meaningful projects that contribute to the field we both care deeply about, including submissions to the 2025 APA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles and service on the AGLP board as Co-Chairs of the Resident Fellow Committee.
Highlights from the APA Meeting: AGLP Events and LGBTQIA+ Psychiatry Connections
This past APA meeting, which happened to take place in our home territory of New York, we both attended many events hosted by AGLP and had the privilege to meet like-minded trainees during events such as the annual AGLP Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows Brunch we both helped host at Dr. Petros Levounis’ home. We also attended some of the sessions helpfully curated by the AGLP education committee, as those sessions focused on our interest in LGBTQIA+ mental health. Finally, the award ceremony was a beautiful way for us to connect with some giants in the field of LGBTQIA+ psychiatry, as it allowed us to get a glimpse into the process behind the amazing things they have done to advance the field and advocate for LGBTQIA+ mental health.
AGLP in New York: Connections and Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Psychiatry
This year in New York, AGLP had a lot of programming – both educational sessions and social events outside of the conference. As a resident, the social events are a valuable opportunity to connect with people at all different stages of their careers in a more casual setting. The first night of the conference, I attended an AGLP reception where I got to catch up with some familiar faces from previous conferences and form new connections over a mutual interest in LGBTQIA+ psychiatry. I learned about a few of the many sessions supported by AGLP and was able to attend some of the sessions throughout the conference. Most impactful to me was a workshop about the history of LGBTQIA+ psychiatry because one of the panelists spoke about his firsthand experience attending the iconic speech given by Dr. Anonymous. Learning about the history of the organization, including the fact that it used to be much more secretive, has given me a newfound appreciation for the visibility of AGLP throughout the meeting.
These amazing memories, connections, and education would not be possible without AGLP and the support of other associations, like PRMS, that help make such experiences possible. We are thankful as it has allowed us, as trainees, to receive a tremendous amount of support and mentorship from the more established members of AGLP, and we hope to pay it forward one day!
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