General Registration Now Open for the SRCD & ISSBD SOGIE Global Forum
General registration is now open for the SRCD & ISSBD SOGIE Global Forum — Special Topic Meeting: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Childhood and Adolescence: A Global Forum on Development, Health, and Rights, taking place August 17–19, 2026 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The Forum will bring together researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers from around the world to advance interdisciplinary work on LGBTQ+ child and adolescent development, health, and rights.
More than a traditional academic meeting, the Forum aims to foster global conversations across developmental science, public engagement, policy, and international collaboration focused on the lives and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children and adolescents.
Early bird registration is available through 15 May. Space is limited, and organizers expect the Forum to reach capacity, so early registration is encouraged.
We are excited about the conversations, collaborations, and future work this gathering will generate.
The Forum will also launch a planned Year of Action — an ongoing initiative supporting working groups, public engagement, policy-relevant research, and international collaboration following the in-person meeting.
We also recognize that many may not be able to join in person due to cost, safety concerns, or other reasons. The Year of Action will help create additional opportunities for connection, collaboration, and continued engagement beyond the Forum itself.
Planned working groups will focus on schools and systems, family, and health, helping extend the Forum’s work beyond the meeting itself.
Organizers: Jessica Fish, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, United States; Laura Baams, Utrecht University, The Netherlands; Salvatore Ioverno, Università Roma Tre, Italy; and Stephen Russell, Arizona State University, United States.
Co-organizers
This meeting is co-organized by the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), and hosted by Utrecht University.
2026 GLOBAL FORUM ENDORSEMENTS
This meeting is endorsed by UNESCO.
2026 Global Forum Partners
Forum partners include the European Society on Family Relations (ESFR) and the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA).
