Why I'm not renewing my ACA membership.

I know this will bring the heat, and I value and respect many individual folks within ACA, but as a whole I don't feel the organization has my back.

​I have chosen not to renew my ACA membership at this time. As a transgender counselor working primarily with LGBTQIA2S+ clients and other marginalized communities, I value professional associations that demonstrate visible, consistent, and proactive advocacy for both practitioners and clients who are most at risk in today’s political climate.
While ACA’s Code of Ethics and national platform have the potential to be powerful tools for equity, I have not consistently seen the level of urgency, representation, or intersectional leadership needed to fully support trans and nonbinary counselors—or to defend access to affirming care—especially as legislative attacks escalate across the country. These gaps make it difficult for me to justify the financial investment when other organizations more directly reflect and act upon the needs of myself, my clients, and community.
I hope ACA will continue to strengthen its public advocacy, increase trans/GE and marginalized counselor representation in leadership, and take more decisive stands on issues impacting the most vulnerable. Should I see sustained progress in these areas, I would be glad to reconsider membership in the future.

How about you?