You can’t address Appalachia without addressing addiction, namely the opioid epidemic. At Queer Appalachia, we try to shed light on the prevalence of this problem in the region and seek to emphasize that nobody— regardless of addiction status— is disposable.

With the disheartening and exponentially increasing rate of opioid abuse in Appalachia, there is nobody in the region who doesn’t play a role. As if being queer in rural regions isn’t isolating and ostracizing enough, the addition of trying to recover only further exacerbates these experiences. The numbers of opioid abuse in Appalachia increase significantly when you looking at folks with queer identities.

 

Queer Appalachia responds to our community's needs by offering Harm Reduction trainings and supplies.