The Coming Out Whole Conference records document the challenges faced by lesbians who have addictions or loved ones struggling with addictions as well as strategies and challenges to overcoming these issues. The collection will be used by those seeking information on the relationship between sexuality and addictions or exploring how the lesbian community addressed addiction in the mid-1980s.
The Coming Out Whole conference was held in April of 1986 with a goal of addressing challenges faced by lesbians with addictions. The specific challenges that lesbians faced in dealing with addictions had not been addressed at the University of Michigan previously, and as more women came out as lesbians there was a greater need for lesbian-specific resources for coping with addictions. Addictions addressed at the conference included those related to drugs, alcohol, food, anger, and sex/relationships.
Each panel session took on a different addiction through a variety of methods; some facilitators spoke about their own personal experiences, others asked participants to share with each other what their experiences with addiction were. At the end of the conference participants were asked to evaluate the sessions that they attended, which resulted in a comprehensive evaluation for the conference as a whole.
The conference was designed by Nancy Blum who served as the Programs Co-Coordinator for the Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office at the University of Michigan. Blum worked as a therapist with clients in the Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office as well as an advocate for local programs offered in the Ann Arbor, MI area for lesbians and gay males. The Lesbian and Gay Male Programs Office at the University of Michigan was the successor organization to the Office of Human Sexuality in the 1980s and a precursor to the Spectrum Center. The Office was founded because of student, faculty, and staff advocacy and focused on providing support for gay and lesbian individuals on campus. Activities included individual therapy, group programs, as well as raising awareness of resources available in Ann Arbor, MI.
