COUNSELORS TAKE ON PREJUDICE

Addicts Don't Always Behave Like Barbie And Ken.

The drug and alcohol counselors gathered yesterday in Oxford Valley
recounted the horror stories.

There was the recovering addict thrown out of the support group meeting
because he was gay, and the edict from a group therapy counselor to keep the
secret of sexual orientation hidden away.

"A lot of people can't feel comfortable about who they really are in
rehabilitation, therapy or Narcotics Anonymous meetings," said David Shaw, a
therapist and addictions therapist, "and honesty and acceptance are key
factors in sobriety."

Yesterday, Shaw was among 80 counselors and therapists gathered for a
conference designed to focus on the particular struggle of recovering
addicts who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-identified. The
one-day conference, called Bridge the Gap: Misconception and Knowledge, was
organized by the BRIDGES program of the Bucks County Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence, a private nonprofit prevention, education and
intervention organization.

The two-year old BRIDGES program offers education, client advocacy and
community outreach on issues surrounding substance abuse and the sexual
minority community. BRIDGES stands for Bringing Resources and Information to
Diverse Groups Encouraging Sobriety.

At yesterday's conference, seminars were held on homophobia in schools, teen
suicide, domestic violence among same-sex partners, hate crimes in Bucks
County, and substance-abuse counseling for gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender-identified communities.

"What do we do with our clients?" said Catherine O'Conor Cook, a therapist
and BRIDGES committee member. "Do we create an environment where our clients
feel safe saying 'I'm gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender'?"

According to a 1997 BRIDGES study, members of the sexual minority community
list homophobia, ignorance and confidentiality as the biggest barriers to
treatment for substance-abuse problems. Without that feeling of comfort and
acceptance, recovery is an even more difficult struggle, counselors say.

According to a 1989 University of Chicago study, 23 percent of gays and
lesbians have drug and alcohol problems, compared with about 10 percent in
the general population.

"The number one place to meet with other people is in a bar or a club
because there aren't a lot of venues to meet and connect more openly," Shaw
said.

Also crucial is the escape that alcohol and drugs offer people whose
day-to-day lives are often cloaked in secrecy and characterized by
discrimination and self-hate, counselors said.

"One of our primary jobs as therapists is to help with self-acceptance,"
said O'Connor Cook. "If we don't do that, then everything else we do is for
naught, because you can't walk around hating yourself, and stay sober."

Yesterday's conference was a chance for clinicians to exchange cards and
experiences, and take steps toward building a network of local services
available for "people who challenge society's view of Barbie and Ken," said
Rosalyne Blumenstein, director of the Gender Identity Project at the Lesbian
and Gay Community Services Center in New York.

After lunch, the group sat in a huge circle to participate in a drumming
ritual designed to foster a sense of unity.

Music therapist Mark Seaman gathered the group together for a series of
beats and rhythms with drums, maracas and tambourines. For a few moments,
the stresses that come with finding ways to serve recovering addicts
disappeared.