Tessa Torgeson shares her personal experience as a member of the LGBT+ community who is also in recovery from addiction. Check out some of our favorite quotes below or click the Source link to access the full article from the Fix.
“For myself, the intersections of addiction and LGBT identity are so complex. It’s so ingrained in our daily lives, in our community lives. Our history. We weren’t given the social or political power to have public space. So, bars and underground clubs were our space...so addiction can sometimes become a learned behavior. For me, it was alcohol. I used it to suppress my identity.”
“There’s a glorious alchemy that happens when a bunch of misfits unite for a shared goal of recovery. But sometimes, the alchemy doesn’t happen. I’ve heard this to be true especially among people in the LGBT community. [...] How can mainstream 12-step meetings and groups be more inclusive of LGBT people?”
“I think that some of the easiest and most effective ways for the recovery community to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ folks are to really be aware of language and not make assumptions about the people they are addressing. For me, personally, I immediately get the message that I am not someone’s intended audience when the message being presented assumes that all women are feminine and attracted to men. Heteronormativity is ingrained in every part of mainstream society and, for people who want to make sure they are being inclusive of queer and trans folks, making sure that they’re not assuming people are heterosexual or cisgender is a huge step in the right direction.”