History of the Pride 5:45 Group
In 2010, several members of AA in the Wilton Manors area believed that there should be more meetings aimed at the growing LGBTQ community. Led by Clint W. and at least six other recovering alcoholics, these leaders sat down and hammered out the format of a new meeting which would serve the LGBTQ community offering a variety of topics. They would meet seven days a week in the evening for the after-work crowd. Each of the seven members contributed a topic that was assigned to each day of the week. Most of the formats are still in place today. With little start up money, they were able to procure a space in the Pride Center in Wilton Manors and used their own money to pay the rent until the meeting could become self-sufficient.
Clint W. and the other early pioneers of what is now the Pride 5:45 group, had a vision. The Saturday meeting, to this day still the most attended, would focus on celebrating anniversaries with a double speaker to share their experience, strength and hope. Pride 5:45 marked its 10th anniversary on December 1, 2020 and has weathered the global pandemic by converting to virtual meetings for its more than 250 members, The group is determined to continue to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere for recovering LGBTQ alcoholics for many years to come.