COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENTS...

1.

IS GAY & SOBER FOR PROFIT OR A NONPROFIT? 

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Yes. Gay & Sober Inc is a registered 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

2.

ARE TRANS MEN WELCOMED AT THE GAY & SOBER MEN'S CONFERENCE? 

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Of Course. Please join in the fun!

3.

ARE ALL TRANS PEOPLE WELCOMED AT THE PRIDE CELEBRATION MARCH AND DANCE ON THE RIVER ON PRIDE SUNDAY? 

 

Yes. The Pride Celebration on Pride Sunday is for ALL LGBTQ+ people in the recovery community and allies. The Dance on the River Cruise is a part of The Pride Celebration. All are welcome!

4

WHAT IF I DON'T IDENTIFY AS A "GAY MAN" AND STILL WANT TO PARTICIPATE? 

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If you are a man and self-identify as Queer, Bisexual or gender non-conforming, you are very much welcomed at the GSM Conference! 

5

WHY IS THE GSM CONFERENCE ON THURSDAY THRU SATURDAY FOR GAY MEN ONLY? 

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Because we feel that there is a need for special programming that speaks to the experience of being a "gay man" in recovery.  

6

MY HUSBAND, BOYFRIEND OR PARTNER IS NOT SOBER. MAY I BRING THEM TO THE CONFERENCE? 

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Yes. Our workshops are designed to appeal to friends and loved ones too. We invite them to dive into the experience with you. Our nightly speaker meetings and events are just as entertaining as a live spectacle. You will need to get them their own registration. 

7

I NEED A ROOMMATE AT THE HOST HOTEL SO I CAN SAVE ON SOME MONEY. 

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Please contact our Housing Team at housing@gayandsober.org and they will try to match you with others needing a roommate. 

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Also, even though it says there is one, there is NO Destination Fee. 

8

WHAT IF I'M COMING TO THE CONFERENCE BY MYSELF? I WON'T KNOW ANYONE.  

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Many participants have come by themselves and felt the same way. But what they found at the conference were friends that could last a lifetime. So long as you participate in the workshops, help out by doing service, and open yourself up to the experience...you will be fine. 

9

I PREFER AN APPROACH SUCH AS PEER SUPPORT OR SMART RECOVERY.  IS THIS OK? WILL I BE ACCEPTED?

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The short answer is yes. GSM is not your typical Roundup. That's why it's called a conference. The entire weekend is designed to appeal to broad spectrum of attendees. All of the activities and workshops are about health & wellness. Not just the 12 Steps. The big nightly meetings are fashioned in the style of Alcoholics Anonymous, but take what you like and leave the rest. We've selected the best of the best for the speaker meetings and the star entertainer immediately following the Saturday night meeting is something you don't want to miss.  

10

ARE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE?

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Scholarships were awarded on March 5th. But contact us to see how we can help you. With the gracious team at Gay & Sober, anything is possible! To learn more please click here.  

11

IF I CHANGE MY MIND, CAN I GET A REFUND? 

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No but you have three generous options. 1. You may re-sell it and transfer your registration to someone else. 2. You may donate it back to our Scholarship Program for newcomers with financial hardships. 3. Or you can save your spot for the following year. 

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When placing your order, you must agree to the Terms and Conditions by clicking the box. That means that you agree that there are no refunds. We as a nonprofit are not legally required to issue refunds when we have a clear and fair policy as stated in our terms and conditions. No exceptions will be made.

12

IS THE GAY & SOBER MEN'S CONFERENCE THE SAME AS THE BIG APPLE ROUNDUP?

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Absolutely not. GSM is 4 full days of workshops, activities, fellowship, fun and entertainment. GSM attracts participants from all over the world. GSM is highly produced, highly attended and has a high-energy vibe. It's like comparing an apple to a peach. There's nothing like it!

13

WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS COVID -19 AKA CORONA VIRUS CONCERNS?

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Our new and prudent Chief Operations Officer has developed a solid plan that will be in effect during the conference. This plan includes a bottle of hand sanitizer in your welcome bag, Greeters that smile instead of giving hugs and handshakes, and no hand-holding at the end of the big meetings.   

HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATES

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As attendees of the annual Gay & Sober Men’s Conference and The Pride Celebration, your health and safety are a top priority to us that we take very seriously.  

 

After assessing the bigger picture and learning from what others are doing, we feel it a disservice to prematurely make any decisions that could impact the conference.  It’s simply too early to call.  In light of this, we have decided to continue with the conference as scheduled for June 25th - 28th, 2020.  Again, as of today, all of the scheduled GSM events for Pride Weekend in NYC will proceed as planned.  

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Many fellows choose GSM because of our commitment to excellence. Now our commitment to you is broader, and perhaps even more important than before. We are committing to you that we are doing everything we can to make GSM2020 and The Pride Celebration a safe, healthy, fun, and memorable experience for all of our participants.

 

Just like you, we are closely monitoring new developments regarding the Coronavirus.  We have implemented several new policies and procedures which will be in effect throughout the conference weekend.  These procedures follow recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDH).  For more complete details on these changes designed for everyone’s health and safety please visit www.gayandsober.org/facts.

 

For further reassurance, NYC Pride has announced that they are still working on all June 2020 Pride events 100% as planned.  The Gay & Sober Board and Conference Committee are also hard at work as we continue full speed ahead to plan for another memorable pride weekend.

 

We are committed to supporting our recovery community during this unprecedented time and want to share with you what we are doing.  We have mobilized our network across the globe to pull together an inventory of online meeting links, which are being added to our meeting’s inventory on a daily basis. To explore the online meeting directory, CLICK HERE. We also host a nightly virtual recovery meeting open to the entire LGBTQ+ community.  For more information on this daily meeting please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/879432485862157/

 

We will continue to monitor the situation closely regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) for further developments, and will inform you of any potential effects it may have on the GSM2020 Conference.  We share in NYC Pride’s confidence that this too shall pass and look forward to hosting all of you in New York City this June!

 

As the pandemic comes under control, GSM may very well be the perfect opportunity for fellowship and camaraderie that we have all earned and deserve!  


With Love & Service, 


Kevin Michael
Chief Operations Officer

Gay & Sober Inc.