June 15, 2026
This Pride Month, AATA recognizes the unwavering resilience demonstrated by the LGBTQ+ community in the face of unprecedented, ongoing challenges. In 2026 alone, 530 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the US (ACLU), and instances harassment and hate crimes are on the rise, as reported by The Washington Post.
Despite this, members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to advocate for the dignity and the fundamental human rights of LGBTQ individuals. These current circumstances underscore the importance of solidarity, awareness, and engagement during Pride Month and beyond.
We invite you to join us in showing support, sharing resources, and continuing to advocate for the clients and communities art therapists serve. By participating, educating ourselves and others, and speaking out against injustice, we aim to build a more inclusive environment for all individuals to live authentically and thrive.
Where to Show Up
- JOIN us for a special Pride Month virtual Community Conversation for AATA Members, June 23, Missed Connection: A Conversation of Identities in Queer Community. The meeting will be led by AATA Member Sara Blevins-Ranes, MA, LPC, ATR-BC, and AATA Board Member Michael Galarraga, MS, LPC, ATR-BC, CSAC, CSOTP. In the opening hour, Michael and Sara will discuss queer psychology frameworks and theories, as well as provide an overview of the Social Change Ecosystem Map. The presenters will also use both physical or digital collage and zine-making to explore identity, intersectionality, belonging, and community.
The meeting is FREE and all AATA Members are welcome! Attendees may earn 1 CE credit.
Register here
- JOIN the AATA LGBTQIA/Queer Shared Interest Group for those who identify as LGBTQ+ to make meaningful connections within the art therapy community. Also, meet with SIG members in person at the AATA2026 conference, Oct. 16, 3pm.
- Attend AATA’s annual conferences, in person and virtual, with sessions including Where Color Refuses to Blend: Supporting QTBIPOC People in Art Therapy and The Third Body: Surrealist Self-Portraiture and Queer Men in Art Therapy. (Early Bird registration discounts end July 16!
What to Watch
- Watch AATA’s June 2025 Continuing Education virtual learning session, Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy: Affirming Queer/Trans Lives Through Creative Practice, with presenters Kachina Mooney, Sara Blevins-Ranes, and Nicholas Denson. They introduced foundational concepts of queer worldmaking and offered practical insights into how art therapists can incorporate these transformative ideas into their clinical practice.
- Watch Language Is Power: Ethical Practice of Bias-Free Language to Counteract Oppression, presented by Dr. Lynn Kapitan and Alex Kapitan. This session explores bias in language on race/ethnicity, gender, and disability—and how to construct bias-free alternatives that serve liberation.
- Watch Identity, Art Therapy, and Working with LGBTQIA+ Community, with Jenni Ford, who discusses identity work, the intersection of layers of identity, and the use of art therapy interventions to aid in working with clients in LGBTQIA+ populations
Learn How
- LEARN How Art Therapists Can Build inclusivity and Foster Trust for individuals in the LGBTQIA+ Community in this article by AATA Board Member Michael Galarraga.
- SHARE resources in the MyAATA community – there’s a community for sharing FREE resources.
Take Action
- Speak up! If you’d like to share your views with your lawmakers in support of the LGBTQ community, check out the Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, and Mental Health America.
Use and Share These Resources
These resources have been compiled by AATA Members.
- Sylvia Rivera Law Project works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.
- Lambda Legal
- Outright International
- Terminally Forgetful and the T4TATX Group, a free weekly Zoom peer support group for those who identify as a member of our trans community, over the age of 18, to share openly and safely with others within our community.
- Point of Pride help trans youth and adults access necessary, life-saving health and wellness services.
- Additional resources for Trans Community at Erin in the Morning
- Glen’s Friends
- Stronghearts Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483. Provides 24/7 support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
- Queer Worldmaking in Art Therapy edited by Zachary D. Van Den Berg