Institute for LGBT Health and Wellbeing is a nonprofit housed by the medical practice Center for Psychological Growth that works to advance a left-of-center conception of LGBT mental health, including supporting gender transition assistance (known to activists as “gender affirming care”) for minors. The institute is licensed to issued psychological continuing education credits in the state of Florida and proposes “future workshops” on issues such as “microaggressions” and “ethical non-monogamy.” ^{1 2 3}

Finances

The Center for Psychological Growth is a private medical practice and therefore does not have public financial records. ⁴

Since its inception, the nonprofit Institute for LGBT Health and Wellbeing has reported less than $50,000 in annual revenue, and as a result has filed e-postcard tax returns which do not detail revenue and expenses or other information. ⁵

Organizational Positions

The Center for Psychological Growth and the Institute for LGBT Health and Well Being focus on left-of-center LGBT issues and intersectional issues in general. The center offers LGBT-focused mental health care and runs a gay men’s support group, a transgender youth group, an adult transgender group, and a parents of transgender youth group. ⁶

The center’s website has a statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and also has a blog post from August of 2017 that bemoans allegedly growing racism, white supremacy, and “white nationalism” and calls on white people to openly condemn these things. ^{7 8}

Trans-Affirming Policies and Training

The Institute for LGBT Health and Wellbeing is licensed to provided continuing psychological education credits in Florida. On its website, it lists “transgender affirmative care,” “working with trans and gender diverse youth and their families,” “consensual non-monogamy,” “advocacy, public policy, and social change: role of psychologists in affecting systemic change,” and “microaggressions are real: the path to understanding the role of power and privilege” as “future workshops.” ⁹

Support for the 2023 Open Letter to Target Over LGBT Policies

In response to criticisms of its “Pride themed” merchandise, the retailer Target reportedly removed or relocated certain items. ¹⁰ Around the same time this backlash started, Target’ stock price dropped precipitously. As of July 2023 the company had not recovered losses that attributed to boycotts by center-right people in response to the retailer carrying the controversial products, and simultaneously boycotts by left-of-center people who were displeased with Target being perceived as “giving in” to the right-of-center pressure. ^{11 12}

In response to Target’s change in policy, left-of-center LGBT groups criticized Target. Notably Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and other LGBT groups issued an open letter signed by more than 200 organizations calling for Target to restore all controversial merchandise and issue a public statement supporting LGBT rights within 24 hours from the letter’s publication. The Center for Psychological Growth is one of the signatories to this open letter. ¹³

Leadership

Gary Howell is the CEO of the Center for Psychological Growth and co-founder and director of the Institute for LGBT Health. He is involved in institutional LGBT activism with organizations such as the American Psychological Association and is an associate professor at the Florida School of Professional Psychology, where he has created and run courses on LGBT issues. His biography states that he has a “passion for social justice.” ¹⁴

1. Home Page.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/.
2. “Services.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/services.html.
3. “Education & Training.” INSTITUTE FOR LGBT HEALTH & WELLBEING. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.instituteforlgbthealth.org/education–training.html.
4. “Home Page.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/.
5. “Institute for Lgbt Health and Wellbeing Inc.” IRS.gov. Accessed July 18, 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
6. “Services.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/services.html.
7. “Home Page.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/.
8. “Blog.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation, August 13, 2017. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/blog.html.
9. “Education & Training.” INSTITUTE FOR LGBT HEALTH & WELLBEING. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.instituteforlgbthealth.org/education–training.html.
10. D’Innocenzio, Anne, and Dee-Ann Durbin. “Target Braces for Second Backlash after Pulling LGBTQ Pride Month Products.” The Washington Times. May 24, 2023. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/may/24/target-braces-second-backlash-after-pulling-lgbtq-/.
11. ^[1] Flood, Brian. “Target Losses Hover around $13 Billion as Shareholders Bear Brunt of Woke Backlash.” FOX Business. June 8, 2023. Accessed July 19, 2023.  https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/target-losses-hover-13-billion-shareholders-bear-brunt-woke-backlash.
12. “Target Corporation (TGT) Interactive Stock Chart.” Yahoo Finance. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://yhoo.it/3xUvcbo.
13. “Over 200 LGBTQ+ and Allied Organizations Call on Target, Business Community to Speak Out Against Extremist Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks.” Human Rights Campaign, June 5, 2023. Accessed July 19, 2023.  https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-over-200-lgbtq-and-allied-organizations-call-on-target-business-community-to-speak-out-against-extremist-anti-lgbtq-attacks.
14. “About The Center Staff.” Center for Psychological GrowthHealthWellbeingEducation. Accessed July 19, 2023. https://www.centerforpsychologicalgrowth.com/our-staff.html.