Advancing ethical, evidence-based, and affirming psychological practices for LGBTQIA+ people across South Africa
Welcome to the African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project
The African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project is an initiative under the Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD) of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA). We are dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and well-being of sexually and gender-diverse individuals across Africa through research, advocacy, and professional development. Grounded in an affirmative and intersectional approach, we work to challenge discrimination, dismantle systemic barriers, and promote ethical, inclusive, and evidence-based psychological practices.
Official Launch of the 2nd Edition of the Practice Guidelines
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Second Edition of the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People. These guidelines serve as an essential resource for psychology professionals committed to affirming LGBTQIA+ identities and fostering inclusive mental healthcare.
Registration for event is officially closed.
WHAT WE DO
We promote ethical, evidence-based psychological practices that affirm the dignity, rights, and well-being of sexually and gender-diverse people across Africa. Through research and advocacy, we challenge pathologising frameworks and systemic barriers, ensuring that LGBTQIA+ individuals receive affirming, competent, and inclusive mental healthcare.
AFFIRMATIVE PRACTICE
We advance affirmative psychological practice, which is ethical, evidence-based, and rooted in human rights. This means recognising sexual and gender diversity as a natural part of human experience, validating lived realities, and countering the harm caused by cisnormativity, heteronormativity, and pathologising approaches. Affirmative practice is not just about support—it actively challenges systemic barriers and fosters resilience, autonomy, and dignity for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
RESEARCH & COLLABORATION
Our work is driven by rigorous research and meaningful partnerships that challenge discrimination and strengthen LGBTQIA+ mental healthcare. We engage in critical, decolonial, and intersectional research to expose systemic injustices, inform best practices, and support evidence-based, affirmative psychological care. By collaborating with professionals, activists, and community organisations, we work to bridge the gap between research, policy, and lived experiences to create lasting change.
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
We offer specialised training based on the Practice Guidelines, equipping psychology professionals with the skills to provide competent, affirming, and inclusive care. Our workshops, CPD-accredited courses, and training programmes help practitioners integrate affirmative, evidence-based approaches into their work.
THE PRACTICE GUIDELINES
The Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People provide an essential framework for affirming, ethical, and evidence-based mental healthcare. They aim equip practitioners with the knowledge and tools to better serve LGBTQIA+ individuals across diverse contexts. These guidelines are a resource for psychologists, counsellors, educators, researchers, and policymakers committed to inclusive and transformative practice.
POLICY & ADVOCACY
We work to influence policy and professional standards to ensure that psychology and mental healthcare are inclusive, ethical, and affirming of sexually and gender-diverse individuals. Our advocacy efforts aim to strengthen protections, improve healthcare access, and challenge systemic inequities in psychology and beyond.