Who Gets To Speak For AA?

Who Gets To Speak For AA?

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode of *Alcoholics Alive!* tackles a deceptively simple but crucial question: **who actually gets to speak for AA?** Shank and Wayne kick things off with their trademark humour, bouncing through popular AA slogans and deciding which ones are worth keeping and which are “meeting shrapnel” ready for the bin.

From the much-loved line, “Religion is for people that don't want to go to hell, spirituality is for those who have been to hell,” to timing rules for speakers, you’ll hear how clichés can shape – and sometimes distort – what newcomers think AA is about.

The heart of the conversation comes from Tradition Ten’s long form: “No AA group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate AA, express any opinion on outside controversial issues…” They talk about why Alcoholics Anonymous needs to stay neutral on politics, religion and social reform, and focus instead on its primary purpose: carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

You’ll hear a lively discussion on non-alcoholic (Class A) trustees, who are intended to be AA’s public voice, and why their visibility seems to have faded over the last couple of decades. Shank and Wayne question whether modern communication tools and careful wording – like calling AA “peer support” – actually help reach more alcoholics, or just water down what AA really offers.

They also challenge the idea that service titles or long sobriety automatically give anyone the right to “speak for AA.” Instead, they emphasise that ordinary members, sponsors and old-timers share experience rather than authority, and that every AA member has a responsibility to speak up when principles are at stake.

If you’ve ever wondered how AA should present itself to the wider world, or how much weight to give the voices you hear in meetings, this conversation might prompt you to ask: **what message are you carrying, and who do you think it speaks for?**