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Shrink Group Seems More Into Watching Drag Queens Dance Than Helping Patients, Scientists Allege
Evolutionary biologist Colin Wright and psychologist Andrew Hartz argue that the American Psychological Association’s Division 39 conference prioritised political themes over practical training for therapists. Their criticism matters because the APA represents more than 190,000 psychologists in the United States, and the debate centres on what belongs in professional psychological scholarship.
The pair said about 70 of the conference’s 90 panels had a political focus and that the topics reflected left-leaning perspectives. They highlighted a session on drag and queer theory that ended with a drag performance, and questioned what clinical skills it offered. Division 39 President Dana Charatan defended the conference by saying patients are affected by the systems in which they live; the APA did not respond to a request for comment.
In short
- Scientists say a psychology conference focused too heavily on politics.
- They counted roughly 70 politically focused panels out of 90.
- Division 39’s president defended the conference’s relevance to patients.