The History of Gay People in Alcoholics Anonymous

by Audrey Borden

The History of Gay People in Alcoholics Anonymous documents and honors the ways thousands of LGBT people have carried Alcoholics Anonymous' message. This illuminating chronicle includes interviews and documents that detail the compelling history, recovery, and wisdom of gay people in AA. The book examines the challenges AA faced as the fellowship endeavored to become a more inclusive and cohesive community. The first-person accounts narrate the important work of influential gay and straight AA members that led key events in AA’s history. The author includes material on the steps and traditions of AA, and on becoming an ally to LGBT people on the road to recovery.

Topics in The History of Gay People in Alcoholics Anonymous The History of Gay People in Alcoholics Anonymous is an enlightening book for members of the LGBT and heterosexual recovering community, alcoholism and addiction professionals, as well as physicians, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, clergy, historians, sociologists, educators, students, and anyone interested in learning more about AA or this aspect of the community’s history.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT

302 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2006

Reviews

[Brenden O'Donnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So incredibly important and helpful; particularly the application of Goffman in the final few pages.

[Bill Arning · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much interesting information and great stories of the early days of the visionaries who founded gay meetings and needed to look deep into the traditions to make sure gay meetings were good for AA as a whole. Still the book relies a little too heavily on interviews and their stories get repetitive around 2/3 of the way through and I found myself skimming. Also the reality that many non gay folks today attend gay meetings for the great spirit of recovery in the rooms is not mentioned, which seems a glaring oversight. Still a very worthwhile read.

[Faith Reidenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure and I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in AA history, queer or not. I learned some wonderful facts, notably that the Third Tradition ("The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking") came about after a gay man asked to join a group, during AA's second year, and all hell broke loose.

Borden gives a history that shows how treatment for alcoholism and "treatment" for homosexuality once overlapped, including the grimmest measures such as shock treatment and eugenics. The bulk of the book, though, is based on her interviews of 29 LGBT AA members, mostly in large cities, who came into meetings between 1961 and 1981. The best of these interviews describe "what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now." I wish that Borden had solicited some Big Book-style full-fledged stories. Most interviewees concentate on how they found AA meetings, and/or other gay people in AA, and built sober gay communities.

I enjoyed reading about how the first homosexual groups formed, the fight to have homosexual meetings listed in the World Directory, the fight to publish a conference-approved pamphlet for gay and lesbian alcoholics, and Borden's speculations about why "Alcoholics Together" formed in Los Angeles, which was a separate organization limited to homosexual alcoholics.

The book is scholarly enough to include endnotes and a bibliography but successfully written for a general audience. Thanks for sharing, Audrey.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a book about our history that incorporates one of the most important of the three legacies - Service!