LGBTQ+ individuals find help and hope in Alcoholics Anonymous

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Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Jul 08, 2022, 11:08 ET

Members share their stories of recovery and of finding support and acceptance in A.A. meetings

NEW YORK, July 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The principles of Alcoholics Anonymous encourage the ideals of participation, inclusion, and unity for members and groups.

Since A.A.'s founding 87 years ago, individuals from diverse groups and backgrounds have found help and hope for their drinking problems in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Among these members are LGBTQ+ individuals who have shared their experiences in the A.A. publication LGBTQ Alcoholics in A.A.

In A.A. you will find a community of kindred folks from every walk of life and "of every stripe." For people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ), A.A. extends a helping hand, an open heart, and a life-saving program of recovery to any person seeking help with a drinking problem. Irving, an A.A. member, shares, "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. I was no longer fearful that my sexual orientation would be an issue—that I had to keep some big, dark secret. I had a true desire to stop drinking. That was all that mattered. People in the meetings didn't care that I was gay. We had the same purpose—to stay sober. I was always greeted warmly and told every time to 'keep coming back.'"

An A.A. member who is non-binary said, "Toward the end of my second year, I found another alcoholic who identified as I did. We would drive to the city together for an LGBTQ+ A.A. meeting. We got hooked up with some of the A.A.s there and began to develop a revitalizing network of support." (From "The Need to Identify," AA Grapevine magazine, October 2021).

We in A.A. believe alcoholism is a disease that is no respecter of age, gender, creed, race, wealth, occupation, or education. Our experience shows that anyone can be an alcoholic. And, beyond question, anyone who wants to stop drinking is welcome in A.A.

Many LGBTQ+ alcoholics feel quite comfortable in any A.A. group. Some members have found, for identification purposes, additional support at "special interest" A.A. groups for the LQBTQ+ community.

Anyone interested in attending an A.A. meeting can find one in their area by contacting a local A.A. Central Office or Intergroup Office or online through the A.A. Meeting Guide app. The app allows users to search for LGBTQ in-person and online meetings.

Alcoholics Anonymous is for anyone who wants to stop drinking. For more information about A.A., visit www.aa.org.

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SOURCE Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.