Rick first decided to get sober more than 25 years ago, when his partner was dying of AIDS-related complications. After a long-standing problem with alcohol, he went to a recovery clubhouse in the Gayborhood that was dedicated to helping LGBT addicts. The specialized meeting helped Rick find his peers.
“I found a sense of community that was accepting of my sexuality and then gave me room to find my path to sobriety,” said Rick, who cannot disclose his last name because he is a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The recovery clubhouse is not an officially recognized special-interest group of AA, but follows similar principles. The clubhouse ultimately fostered a meeting called Early Night Out, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a party at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in the ballroom of the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. It’s free to attend, but donations are welcome. Recovering addicts and supporters are welcome.
Vaughn C., a recovering addict, will open the evening by relating the history of Early Night Out and its place in the LGBT recovery community, including its roots in the former Penguin Place. Twenty people will follow with two-minute speeches each about their experiences as LGBT recovering addicts. Food will also be served.
“The most important thing is to use this moment to let people know there are meetings 365 days of the year,” Rick said. “It’s outreach more than promotion.”
Regular meetings for Early Night Out take place at 5:30 p.m. every night of the week, all year, on the second floor of a building at 202 S. 12th St. It’s near the Mazzoni Center’s Washington West Project.
Rick said a lot of familiar faces turn up to the meetings in part because the LGBT community generally is tight-knit, and that’s especially true in Philadelphia. He said some people might feel deterred by running into others they know, but at the end of the day, the community can be life-saving.
“In terms of long-term sobriety, helping other people is the most effective way to stay sober,” said Rick, who has been sober for 26-and-a-half years.
Early Night Out offers open meetings, which supporters can attend. Often doctors, nurses or therapists-in-training drop in, Rick said. Some meetings are closed, which means they are for addicts only.
For more information, visit www.sepennaa.org.