Sexaholics Anonymous (SA), founded in 1979, is one of several twelve-step programs for compulsive sexual behavior, based on the original twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. SA is part of a group of twelve-step organization addressing sexual addiction: Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA) and Sexual Recovery Anonymous (SRA). Collectively, these groups are known as "S" groups due to their acronyms starting with "S": SA, SAA, SLAA, SCA, and SRA. SA supports individuals who identify as "sexaholics." According to the group, a sexaholic is someone for whom "lust has become an addiction." SA distinguishes itself from other "S" groups by defining sexual sobriety as no sex with self or with partners other than with one's spouse "in a marriage between a man and a woman," and progressive victory over lust. "In defining sobriety, we do not speak for those outside Sexaholics Anonymous. We can only speak for ourselves. Thus, for the married sexaholic, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self or with persons other than the spouse. For the unmarried sexaholic, sexual sobriety means freedom from sex of any kind. And for all of us, single and married alike, sexual sobriety also includes progressive victory over lust." The group uses the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and the book Sexaholics Anonymous (often referred to as The White Book) as guide. The White Book explains that "the sexaholic has taken himself or herself out of the whole context of what is right or wrong. He or she has lost control, no longer has the power of choice, and is not free to stop."
History Sexaholics Anonymous was founded by Roy K. (in twelve-step fellowships it is customary to refer to members by their first name and the first initial of their last name, in order to preserve their anonymity). SA received permission from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to use its Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in 1979. Roy K. died from cancer on the afternoon of September 15, 2009. He claimed that he had been sexually sober since January 31, 1976.
Group commitment to sobriety definition
From the earliest attempts by Roy K. to found SA in the 1970s, and throughout the history of SA, some members have sought to change the group's concept of sexual sobriety. This was an attempt to generalize marriage similar to the 12 Step concept from Step 3 of "God as you understand God." It was an attempt to endorse as sexually sober, sexual activity by couples, not legally married, whether they be of the same or opposite sex. The fellowship did not accept this and, as a result, in 1991 some SA members and groups left SA to form Sexual Recovery Anonymous (SRA), citing the SA sobriety definition's lack of endorsement of same sex relationships and committed relationships. Murray R., one of the SRA founders had served on the SA General Service Board and had long attempted to change the SA sobriety definition to include committed relationships with either the same or opposite sex. As early as 1991 Roy was writing to the fellowship regarding same-sex acting out. In an article titled Principles Corroborating SA's Interpretation of Sexual Sobriety Roy wrote:
"Ever since attending the April 1986 and 1987 NYC Marathons, I have been examining my own assumptions in the same-sex area. That year I wrote a letter to a same-sex member sharing my thoughts; it now has the title "Recovery Reveals Our False Assumptions." That paper, which follows, gives reasons from within our common recovery experience why I believe we in SA should not endorse or validate, even indirectly, same-sex or "committed relationship" sexualizing in SA." In the section titled "The Great Same-Sex Controversy", Roy goes on to explain how society was divided on the "nature vs. nurture" argument about homosexuality:
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
