June is pride month, so in honor of the amazing gains – and all the progress yet to be made – by the LGBTQ+ community, we wanted to highlight our favorite resources for the sober LGBTQ+ community in Portland.
Sobriety can present extra challenges for folks in the LGBTQ+ community, especially when so many important community events continue to center around alcohol consumption. Thanks to homophobia, mental health issues and addiction problems occur at disproportionate rates in the LGBTQ+ community. That’s why safe sober spaces dedicated to LGBTQ+ folks are so important and vital to healing.
Today we’ll honor those spaces and share some of the best meetings, organizations and resources we’re aware of for LGBTQ+ folks in recovery in the Portland metro area.
LGBTQ+ Addiction and Recovery Resource #1: The Q Center
The Q Center is Portland’s largest LGBTQ+ community center. It’s located on Mississippi St in NE Portland. One of the many types of meetings they host is recovery meetings for LGBTQ+ folks. Be sure to check with the Q Center before attending any meetings here, as some of their meetings are being held virtually during the pandemic. Here’s some of our favorites:
LGBTQ Narcotics Anonymous
Anyone who wants to stop using drugs can attend. This Q Center meeting happens every Wednesday from 8PM to 9PM and every Sunday from 7PM to 8:15PM.
Young People Sexual Diversity AA
This is an AA meeting for young LGBTQ+ folks with an emphasis on experiences, strengths and hope! They meet every Tuesday from 6:30PM to 8:30PM.
LGBTQ Bipolar and Depression Support Alliance
This is a drop-in support time for LGBTQ+ folks living with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar, PTSD or related illnesses. They meet every Monday from 7PM to 8:30PM.
Queer Paths Recovery Dharma
This meeting is intended for LGBTQ+ folk and allies who are interested in applying Buddhist principles to recovery. Meetings happen every Sunday from 10:30AM to 12PM.
LGBTQ+ Addiction and Recovery Resource #2: 4th Dimension Recovery
We’ve talked about 4th Dimension Recovery on this blog before. They’re pretty great, so it’s hard to not talk about them when you talk about the best sober resources in Portland. For those that don’t know, 4D is a sober community center for young people under 35.
4D holds an NA meeting for LGBTQ+ and POC every Monday from 5:30PM to 6:30PM at their location on MLK. They describe the meeting as “small and welcoming” on their website. Check with 4D for the most up-to-date information, but last we heard, they are holding this meeting in a hybrid style: both online and in person.
LGBTQ+ Addiction and Recovery Resource #3: SMYRC
While we’re not aware of any recovery meetings being held specifically at SMYRC, no Portland LGBTQ+ resource list would be complete without mentioning this awesome organization, which could certainly be a lifeline for any young person in the downtown area who is trying to get sober.
SMYRC, or the Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center offers activities (think art, music, community organizing, open mic nights, drag shows) and services like support groups, case management, counseling and educational support for young LGBTQ+ folks.
SMYRC is particularly helpful for LGBTQ+ youth who are dealing with homelessness and many of their services are geared around meeting the needs of that population. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ kids are much more likely to experience homelessness, so it’s good we have this resource for young people in Portland.
LGBTQ+ Addiction and Recovery Resource #4: Other Meetings
These meetings aren’t necessarily associated with any organization (other than AA), but they’re worth checking out, too.
The Rosegay Group
This is an AA meeting for gay, bi and questioning men who want to stop drinking.
They typically meet at a local church, but for now their meetings are online, through Zoom. They meet every Sunday from 7:30 to 8:30PM.
You can join them online at https://zoom.us/j/210433663, Meeting ID: 210 433 663, no password required.
Queer Women’s Meeting
This AA meeting welcomes lesbian, gay, bi and trans women who want to quit drinking and stay sober. They usually meet Mondays at 7PM at Ainsworth United Church of Christ, but during the pandemic they are meeting online only. You can email queermeetingpdx@gmail.com for meeting details.
We’re Proud to Serve the LGBTQ+ Recovery Community in Portland
Connecting with other sober LGBTQ+ folks can be instrumental in healing. This is NOT an exhaustive list of all the LGBTQ+ friendly meetings in town – there’s actually a lot more.
At Shanti Recovery and Wellness, we’re proud to serve the LGBTQ+ community in Portland. We see the disproportionately high levels of substance use disorder in the LGBTQ+ community for what it is: a health equity issue. We hope you find something helpful in this list of resources! Feel free to share with anyone you think this might help.
If you’re looking for evidence-based addiction treatment help in Portland, we’d be happy to help. Our outpatient services include medication assisted therapy as well as on-site counseling, nutrition support and wellness checkups. If you’re ready to take back control of your life, reach out to us today.