Postscript to the ‘unity conference’
One of the last occurrences of the 2024 World Service Business Conference was very concerning to many. Trustee Gary D read a letter signed by all members of the board, the region chairs, and OA’s Unity With Diversity Conference Committee:
May 15, 2024
RE: Overeaters Anonymous Supports The Rainbow (LGBTQ+) Specific Focus Service Board
To Overeaters Anonymous members and groups:
The Board of Trustees, Region Chairs Committee, Unity with Diversity Conference Committee, and the 2024 World Service Business Conference stand hand-in-hand with all of our specific- focus service boards. We regret to report that OA’s Rainbow (LGBTQ+) Specific Focus Service Board has received some vicious, attacking emails from individual OA members. We are taken aback by the hostility directed at The Rainbow (LGBTQ+) Specific Focus Service Board.
While OA welcomes a free exchange of ideas and criticisms, we also want to say clearly: There is absolutely no place for hate speech in the loving Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous. We are here to support each other in love, tolerance, acceptance, and recovery.
As noted in the OA Twelve and Twelve: “When we apply OA’s Tradition Three, we find the treasure of friendship often where we least expect it, with people we once would have excluded from our lives. Such treasure is all around us, and all we have to do is open our hearts to receive it. OA is where we learn to open our hearts, because it is here that most of us first experience unconditional acceptance” (The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Overeaters Anonymous, Second Edition, pp. 111-112).
For further reading and discussion, our policy statements related to Unity with Diversity can be found in the Document Library at oa.org.
This statement was unanimously endorsed by the 2024 World Service Business Conference. Please contact your Region Chair or Trustee if you have any questions.
Thank you for your attention and support,
OA Board of Trustees
Region Chairs Committee
Unity with Diversity Conference Committee 2024 World Service Business Conference