i was so elated when i joined AA that for awhile i was practically shouting it to the rooftops. It took me a minute to realize that it wasn't always a good idea. People interviewing you for a job don't want to hear that you have 30 days, or 2 weeks. Today they are fine when i say 17 years, but not when you are a newbie. i find that alcoholism and drug abuse still has a big stigma attached to it regardless of the current information available.

How do you feel that relates to coming out as kinky? Did that make it easier or harder for you?

For me, a lot of my recovery was coming to terms with the fact that i just didn't think along the same lines as the "rest" of the world. Learning to accept myself as someone who marches to a different drummer was instrumental in me finally giving myself permission to come out as kinky, and to weather the storms that followed. i think if i hadn't had AA i may not have made it here.