Group Trying to Open LGBTQ Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, OH - A group in Cleveland is trying to bring an LGBTQ drug and alcohol treatment facility to the region via crowdfunding website GoFundMe. The team has raised $1,672 as of Oct. 17.

According to the campaign page, the people behind this campaign are being aided by board members of the Stella Maris Treatment Center. The group also says they partnered with Connections Mental Health who will provide their expertise in Addiction Treatment, Mental Health, and Psycho-therapy to prospective clients.

The group says there are no treatment centers in Ohio that work specifically with and cater to the LGBTQ communities. In fact, they say, there is only one such treatment center in the nation and that facility is in Minnesota.

On the page, campaign organizer Tony Correa says that identity can play a role in recovery efforts, which is why this treatment center would be geared toward specific communities. To people who ask him if identity should matter in recovery treatments, he says:

My answer to that is "Recovery is Recovery" no matter where we receive it. However; Identification, honesty, and being able to be yourself with out the fear of bias or judgement is part of how we receive the message of recovery. Imagine being a transgendered man or woman in a predominately heterosexual treatment center. Trying to recover and being unallowed to be your authentic self. Transgendered Woman not allowed to wear feminine clothing,wear make up, or paint her nails. She would totally be being dishonest with herself if she could not dress and be as she is and made to be different and fit in with the rest of the guys when shes not a man !
How about the gay man or lesbian who is on defense for always being accused of hitting on someone they aren't even looking at but looking past, and fearing being kicked out of treatment or a sober home based one someone is is homophobic's accusation.

The group is trying to raise $75,000 to open the facility. To learn more about the campaign, visit the fundraising page.

Photo via GoFundMe