EPISODE · Jun 10, 2026 · 12 MIN
Why Didn't Acceptance Fix This?
from The Arch Kennedy Podcast · host Arch Kennedy
If acceptance is the answer, why do alcohol and drug abuse rates remain elevated in the gay community?In this episode, I explore that question through my own experience. When I first came out in the late 1980s and early 1990s, society was far more hostile toward gay people than it is today. Rejection, stigma, and isolation were real, and many people point to those factors as major contributors to addiction.But society has changed dramatically, and yet the struggles remain.Drawing from my own journey through addiction, recovery, and faith, I explain why I eventually came to believe the deeper issue wasn't merely social—it was spiritual. I also share what people mean when they say "Jesus is the answer" and how that played out in my own life through sobriety, boundaries, self-control, and lasting change.
What this episode covers
If acceptance is the answer, why do alcohol and drug abuse rates remain elevated in the gay community?In this episode, I explore that question through my own experience. When I first came out in the late 1980s and early 1990s, society was far more hostile toward gay people than it is today. Rejection, stigma, and isolation were real, and many people point to those factors as major contributors to addiction.But society has changed dramatically, and yet the struggles remain.Drawing from my own journey through addiction, recovery, and faith, I explain why I eventually came to believe the deeper issue wasn't merely social—it was spiritual. I also share what people mean when they say "Jesus is the answer" and how that played out in my own life through sobriety, boundaries, self-control, and lasting change.
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Why Didn't Acceptance Fix This?
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