While about 9% of the general population experiences some form of substance use disorder, an estimated 30% of the LGBTQ+ population is affected. Unfortunately, there is still a huge lack of resources for queer people in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, especially QTBIPOC (Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color).
In order for sobriety to truly be inclusive, these group-specific resources need to not only expand but be made available to every LGBTQ+ person seeking recovery.
It can be hard for queer folks seeking recovery to find resources that are specific to their lived experience. That’s why we have rounded up some of the queer-specific resources. We’ve highlighted a handful of mental health resources and sober meetups for those looking for support on their recovery journey.
Mental Health Support
Q Center
Created by Portland’s city commissioner Sam Adams back in 2005, Q Center provides a number of different services and programs about health and wellness, and advocacy. Recovery and mental health support groups are at the top of the organization’s focus. Q Center is also the biggest LGBTQIA+ community center in the Pacific Northwest. For more info, visit https://www.pdxqcenter.org/
MindOut
If you’re queer and looking for mental health support in Brighton, MindOut could be the mental health service for you. Whether you are struggling because of the pandemic or just feeling anxious or depressed, MindOut is an excellent resource run by queer people in the UK. For more info, visit https://www.mindout.org.uk/
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
BEAM is made up of a group of people from yoga teachers to lawyers to mental health advocates dedicated to “the emotional/mental health and healing of Black communities.” They have services dedicated specifically to the Black LGBTQ+ community, including a mental health expert directory. For more info, visit https://www.beam.community/
Identity House
Based in New York City, Identity House is a volunteer-based community that offers counseling services to support and encourage those in the LGBTQ+ community who are working through issues around sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, as well as relationships, alienation, family and more. For more info, visit https://identityhouse.org/
Rest for Resistance
This site doesn’t provide a listing of mental health experts for the Black LGBTQ+ community. What it does do, though, is serve as an outlet for the creative arts, publishing essays and artwork for queer and trans-POC by queer and trans POC. The organization also holds regular meditation groups in New York City. A group in Portland. OR is in the works as well. For more info, visit https://restforresistance.com/
Trans Lifeline
Trans Lifeline was the first transgender suicide hotline in the United States and Canada. It was established in 2014 in an effort to connect transgender people who were struggling with mental health services, including peer support and community resources. For more info, visit https://www.translifeline.org/
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a great mental health resource for queer people under the age of 25 who are struggling with thoughts of suicide. The nonprofit runs a suicide prevention hotline for LGBTQ+ young people and provides resources to educators and parents about how to create safe and inclusive spaces. For more info, visit https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/
Forge Forward
FORGE was originally created back in 1994 as a way to foster a sense of community and offer peer support to trans-masculine people in the Midwest. The organization has evolved over the years, and today, FORGE is a nationwide nonprofit that provides advocacy and support for transgender people as well as their friends, family, partners and allies. For a list of mental health workers specializing in trans mental health, visit https://forge-forward.org/view/mental-health-providers/
National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) was specifically designed so that QTPoC are able to find therapists who are also QTPoC. The site includes a comprehensive directory of QTPoC therapists to choose from. NQTTCN also acts as a guide for QTPoC therapists as well, by providing a great healing space for therapists to support each other and transform the mental health world. For more info, visit https://www.nqttcn.com/
SunServe
Based in South Florida, SunServe was created with the goal of providing mental health services and support to marginalized and low-income people in the LGBTQ+ community. For more info, visit https://www.sunserve.org/
Metro Inclusive Health
If you are queer and in need of health care in the Tampa Bay area, then Metro Inclusive Health is an amazing resource. Since 1993, Metro Inclusive Health has provided a number of healthcare services to the LGBTQ+ community in the Tampa Bay area, especially those with no insurance. For more info, visit https://www.metrotampabay.org/
Meetups
Queers Without Beers
Back in 2015, Queers Without Beers was created to fill a need for a space for queer sober people who wanted to just hang out in pubs and chat without drinking. The community now meets monthly in London, Bristol and Manchester and has grown exponentially over the years. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/queerswithoutbeers/
Cuties Coffee
Los Angeles is no stranger to an abundance of queer-friendly hangouts, but most of them are bars and nightclubs. Enter Cuties. The sober coffee shop focuses on providing an alcohol-free, daytime spot that’s inclusive of all gender identities so sober LGBTQ+ Californians can hang out, pressure-free. For more info, visit https://www.facebook.com/hicuties/
The Hangout DC
The creators of The Hangout DC just wanted to be able to connect to other sober queers in the nation’s capital without the booze. They had trouble finding a space to do just that, so they created one. At the moment, The Hangout DC is a digital space, but it still provides a way for sober queer people to connect. For more info, visit https://www.instagram.com/thehangout_dc/
Bloom and Plume Coffee
It’s a coffee shop. It’s a piece of living art. It’s black and queer owned, and it’s a perfect sober meetup spot in Echo Park in Los Angeles, CA. Co-owner Maurice Harris started with a flower shop, and then expanded his vision to include a coffee shop that’s all about the aesthetics. Where better to meet sober friends, enjoy a perfect cappuccino, and bask in the beauty of flowers? For more info, visit https://bloomandplumecoffee.com/
Gay & Sober
If you are a queer sober person in New York, Gay & Sober is a great nonprofit that provides a fun sober weekend during New York City Pride each year. The organization also hosts sober events and meetings for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the year. For more info, visit https://www.gayandsober.org/mission
Queeret
Originally based in Brooklyn, Queeret is now a global movement for queer introverts found in cities around the world. Qalm is the organization’s signature monthly event, which offers a calm sober space where queer introverts can gather and chat for a couple of hours without any of the loud music or flashing lights. For more info, visit https://www.queeret.com/
Sis Got Tea
After realizing that her city didn’t have a safe sober space for queer Black people to gather, Arielle Clark decided to create Sis Got Tea, a tea shop and alcohol-free social space for Louisville’s Black queer community. Sis Got Tea hosts events and workshops and is accessible to people with disabilities. For more info, visit https://www.sisgotteaky.com/
Chicago Queer Sober Social
Chicago Queer Sober Social is a fairly new Chicago-based monthly event for sober queer people. The Meetup group seeks to offer a chill sober space for queer people to gather and socialize. For more info, visit https://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Queer-Sober-Social/
LGBTQ+ Sober Hangouts
LGBTQ+ Sober Hangouts is a Milwaukee-based Meetup that provides a sober space for LGBTQ+ adults to enjoy a sense of community and fun events like game nights. For more info, visit https://www.meetup.com/LGBTQ-Sober-Hangouts/
Grabba Java – LGBTQ2IA+ Coffee Social Group
Based in Calgary, Grabba Java is an excellent way to meet other sober people in the LGBTQ+ community, build community, chat with other sober queer people and make new friends. The group meets twice per month on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. For more info, visit https://www.meetup.com/Grabba-Java-LGBTQ/
Queer Chocolatier
Morgan Roddy opened high-end chocolate shop Queer Chocolatier in Muncie, Indiana in 2017 as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. She decided to keep the chocolate shop alcohol-free to keep it accessible to people of all ages, as well as people in recovery. For more info, visit https://www.queerchocolatier.com/
Ori Gallery
Artists Maya Vivas and Leila Haile founded Portland-based art gallery Ori Gallery in 2018 as a safe creative space for trans and queer artists of color. The gallery’s regular events are alcohol-free, so it’s an excellent queer sober space! For more info, visit https://www.oriartgallery.com/
If you’re looking into making your recovery space more inclusive for LGBTQ+ folks, consider changing any gendered pronouns in your script or literature to neutral pronouns and terms like “they/them/theirs” or “people.” Also, rename bathrooms to be gender-neutral and encourage group members to state their pronouns when introducing themselves, especially if they are cisgender.
LGBTQ+ meetups and mental health resources are growing, but they still aren’t the norm and they’re largely created and run by the community, putting the burden on the community to support itself. Again, this is by no means an issue only experienced by the LGBTQ+ community – but other folks who don’t fit into a white, cis, heteronormative box. There’s still work to be done to make recovery inclusive, but having these community-based organizations is a great start.
