LGBTQ+ Recovery Resources
In a recent study from the Recovery Research Institute it found that around 30% of LGBTQ+ individuals live with a substance use disorder. This is a stark contrast to the 9% of individuals who live with a substance use disorder in the general population. Despite these numbers, there is a significant lack of recovery resources offered to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
In most recovery settings, the experience tends to be heteronormative, catering primarily to cisgender and heterosexual individuals. The lack of inclusivity can make LGBTQ+ individuals feel marginalized in support groups and online recovery communities. While 12% of Americans in recovery identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community, many feel that recovery spaces don’t fully acknowledge or address their unique needs.
Understanding the Disparities
LGBTQ+ individuals are disproportionately affected by substance use disorders due to stigma, discrimination, and systemic barriers in healthcare, housing, and employment. Social factors also play a significant role, with many community gatherings centered around alcohol-centric venues and targeted advertising especially during Pride month.
Know the Facts
– Gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals are 18% more likely to have alcohol use disorder and 20% more likely to have substance use disorder
– Access to healthcare is lower among LGBTQ+ individuals, with only 77% of lesbian/gay/bisexual people and 57% of transgender individuals reporting access
– LGBTQ+ individuals are more prone to early substance use initiation and lifetime substance use disorder
– Co-occurring mental health issues such as depression are prevalent, alongside higher rates of physical health challenges and risky behaviors
Addressing the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and substance use requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by this community. By advocating for inclusivity and expanding resources, we can create recovery environments where all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can find support and healing.
Below is a list of resources we have put together to aid those in the LGBTQ+ community in finding the help they need to enter into recovery.
For additional resources, we have compiled together a Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder Resource Guide, Non-Profit Recovery Resource Guide, and our Glossary of Addiction and Recovery Terms. We also have a section dedicated to recovery stories and our nonprofit partner, the Break Free Foundation, which provides scholarships for anyone who cannot afford to attend an inpatient treatment center.
If your life or someone else’s is in imminent danger, please call 911. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, please call:Â 988.
Sober Curator Fun Fact!Â
A handful of Sober Curator Contributors identify as being in the LBGTQIA+ community. With this new Coming Out Sober! column, you will hear from multiple voices and perspectives from our Sober Curator Contributor community.
Support Groups
ChemSex Support
ChemSafe is a support group for individuals who are in recovery for chemsex. Chemsex means using drugs as part of your sex life. It’s most common among men who have sex with men, but it is also becoming more common among people having heterosexual sex and people identifying as LGBT+.
GAL-AA
GaL-AA exists to serve and have the involvement of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgenders, queers and others in Alcoholics Anonymous, regardless of how they choose to identify themselves. GaL-AA embraces all LGBTQ+ members of the AA Fellowship.
Gay & Sober
Gay & Sober is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that serves LGBTQ people in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. We offer sobriety resources 365 days a year and sponsor fun, health and wellness events. There is a meeting directory with gay, lesbian and queer, LGBT affirming Gay AA, CMA, NA, AND AL-ANON. Our most popular event are the conference for Gay & Sober Men and Pride Celebration.
Hearts & Ears
Hearts & Ears, Inc. is a Trans-led, peer-run wellness and recovery center for LGBTQIA+ individuals in Baltimore city and surrounding counties. It is also the only LGBTQIA+ wellness and recovery center in the state of Maryland.The center is open 32 hours a week and offers a variety of hybrid groups and activities surrounding behavioral health, holistic wellness, daily check-ins, and assist with locating resources.
All groups are confidential and are facilitated by LGBTQIA+ peers in recovery.
LGBT Foundation Recovery Program
Our Recovery Programme is here to ensure that you find your own way to recovery and the relationship that you want with alcohol and drugs.
We are partnered with Change Grow Live in Manchester and various partners in Liverpool and can support you to access mainstream structured and medical support. We believe that there is not just one way to recover and we explore tools from whichever approach you find suits you best.
LGBT National Help Center
All of our support volunteers identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ family, and are here to serve the entire community, by providing free & confidential peer-support, information, and local resources through national hotlines and online programs.
Hotline Hours:
Mon-Fri:
1 PM – 9 PM/pacific time
4 PM – Midnight/eastern time
Sat:
9 AM – 2 PM/pacific time
Noon – 5 PM/eastern time
QCenter
As the largest LGBTQ+ community center in the Pacific Northwest, Q Center proudly serves the LGBTQ2SIA+ communities of Portland Metro and Southwest Washington. Our drop-in and event space on North Mississippi Avenue is a frequent first stop for new arrivals in Portland, and for longtime residents who are newly out or questioning their sexual or gender identity.
Q Center also serves as an information hub for friends, partners, community, and family members of LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals. We pride ourselves on our collaborative approach and seek out ways to share resources with other nonprofits and public institutions locally and statewide.
Nonprofits
Ali Forney Center
The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. Committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, our mission is to protect them from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.
A 24-hour program, The Ali Forney Center never closes its doors. We provide more than just a bed and food for those in need — from initial intake at our drop-in center to transitional housing and job readiness training, we provide homeless LGBTQ+ youth a safe, warm, supportive environment to escape the streets.
Inspire Recovery
Inspire Recovery takes a creative approach to treating addiction for the LGBTQ community. Through evidence based treatment with art, writing & music, combined with our one-on-one and group therapy schedule, we focus on maintaining a safe space for personal expression at our LGBTQ drug alcohol rehab.
LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund
Posts bail for LGBTQ people held in jail or immigrant detention and raises awareness of the epidemic of LGBTQ overincarceration.
PFLAG
Founded in 1973, PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Queer KY
Queer Kentucky is a diverse LGBTQ+ run non-profit founded in Louisville, Kentucky working to bolster and enhance Queer culture and health through storytelling, education and action. Through our storytelling approach, we give visibility and celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the great Bluegrass State.
Visibility alone is life-saving. Queer Kentucky actively works with organizations and businesses on their inclusivity efforts that enhance the well-being of their employees.
Queers without Beers
This is a group for those in the LGBTQI+ Community who are looking to moderate their drinking or go alcohol-free. Here you will discover a community of people helping each other by sharing real experiences. You’ll also find Queers Without Beers and other LGBTQ+ socializing opportunities posted here.
SOGIE
The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center), provides a centralized site for accessing resources on providing culturally responsive care to children, youth, young adults with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) and their families across systems, including child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health (including school mental health), substance use systems, and housing and homelessness.
Welcome to Coming Out Sober! I’m Tamar Medford, your guide through the wild ride of sobriety and self-discovery My mission is to create a safe, supportive space for those navigating sobriety and LGBTQ+ identities. I aim to inspire others by sharing my story and exploring the unique challenges we face. Together, we’ll break down barriers, challenge rigid beliefs, and celebrate living authentically. Whether it’s through personal anecdotes or reflections on societal norms, I hope to foster a community where everyone feels seen, heard, and loved.
Here, you’ll find stories from me and others about living sober and out loud. Let’s dive into the hilarious, heartbreaking, and everything in-between moments of breaking free from booze and societal norms.