The Center is having a fundraiser called Transcending Barriers Creating Community. Included in the email they say, “Your presence and support will make a significant difference in our ongoing efforts to build a stronger and more inclusive community for all.” Tickets are $350 per person. I’m wondering how inclusive that is to the community as a whole. It certainly doesn’t include me. I can’t afford a $350 ticket. I would love for my presence to make a difference and I’d be happy to offer the support I can afford. Instead, the event is a construct for wealthier people to come along and make themselves feel good about helping the community while leaving the fringe communities out. Does the gay community help welcome the diversity of the active meth user? As a non-active meth user there was no community to reach out to for me. It is the same for my active using meth brothers and sisters. I was shamed and shunned. I was forced into hiding and lying. When I went to the Desert AIDS Project for help, they referred me to a Crystal Meth Anonymous Meeting. When I went to the center’s website, I couldn’t find any information on crystal meth except for 12 step meetings. We are not included. So, exactly what is the cut off and boundary for the stronger and more inclusive community? Apparently, $350. If wealth is what makes the difference, then I’m sure that the wealthy men who trade drugs to addicted underage boys for sex must be more welcome than I. Sneaking around at night taking advantage of the disadvantaged while posing as a pillar of society by day by making large donations to non-profits. How exactly are these wealthy patrons vetted or is their large donation enough to consider them supporters whose presence is making a significant difference? These barriers will continue after the event is over. I will continue to be a man who can’t afford an event focused on inclusivity and our gay active meth users who are shamed and shunned will continue to be exploited, continue to die and they will continue to suffer. We will be ignored. I am deeply hurt that an event focused on transcending barriers and creating community so clearly leaves me out. I am a part of the community both as a gay man and a non-active meth user but my support is not being welcomed because raising a large amount of money trumps actually including the entire community. I am not opposed to a fundraiser which asks for large amounts of money for support, and I encourage them to continue to do so because the financial benefits are worth it. Having a benefit which is all about inclusivity and making it prohibitive for so many fringe groups and low-income residents from attending is outrageous! It is the complete opposite of inclusivity. It is alienation of the undesirables.