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Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) people experience higher rates of stigma, discrimination, and substance use abuse than the general population, and understanding the information behaviors of this population can positively impact health outcomes around the globe. Therefore, this study investigates the research question: what are the sense-making journeys of Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) individuals who are in recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD)? To address this question, this study collects oral histories of SGM individuals who regularly attend SGM-affirming mutual aid recovery group meetings and analyzes the oral histories in order to illuminate the narrators’ sense-making journeys, which are a way of understanding information behavior. Improved understanding of these individuals' information behaviors can impact a variety of structural supports that will better meet the needs of stigmatized, vulnerable, and underrepresented people. Therefore, findings from this project will contribute to a broader understanding of information behaviors and communication needs throughout the world.

addiction, recovery, sexual and gender minorities