By Ryan E. Flinn, PhD, co-director, Mountain Plains ATTC, and Adam Viera, PhD, MPH, co-director, Peer Recovery Center of Excellence
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to acknowledge sexual minority and gender-diverse people and their contributions to this nation (Library of Congress, 2024). Approximately 5.5% of U.S. adults (13.9 million people) identify as LGBT, with significant differences in the proportion of the population identifying as LGBTQ+ across different states, regions, and age groups (Flores & Conron, 2023). 9.5% of youth (ages 13-17) across the nation identify as LGBT (Conron, 2020).
Regardless of our age or location, Pride Month can represent many things for LGBTQI+-identified people. For those of us in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery or who support others in recovery, it offers an opportunity to reflect on how we cultivate LGBTQI+ pride in our recovery communities, healthcare and service centers, and larger communities; for those of us who identify as LGBTQI+, we can reflect on how we encourage and support our community members in recovery.
The origins of the Pride celebration date back to 1969, in the context of the Stonewall Uprising, as LGBTQI+-identified people of color engaged in protest to create change (Tandon & Rao, 2021). Addressing substance use disorder disparities among LGBTQI+ people will require further change in 2024 and beyond.
