Written by:
Kory Tran
» Order
this Issue of Curve:
18#5
From cabins and campfires, to bracelet making and archery, Camping.OUT may sound like a typical summer camp. But hidden in the backwoods of Northern Michigan, this camp is where youth can choose among canoeing and painting, and discussing LGBT issues and participating in drama shows where they can dress in drag.
Camping.OUT, a summer camp managed by the Triangle Foundation, allows queer youth to have the traditional camping experience without the harassment or discomfort they might feel at a regular camp, along with learning leadership skills they can take back to their community, says Greg Varnum, the director of Camping.OUT.
“It is a way for young people and community leaders to develop a dialogue,” he says. “It also creates a safe space for youth.” Which is why the location of the camp is disclosed to only staff, registered campers and their families. Also, staff members undergo rigorous training, background checks and screenings.
Activities at Camping.OUT, which takes place one week each summer, include the usual summer camp staples like hiking, swimming, and arts and crafts, but also includes presentations on LGBT issues and LGBT group discussions. To let youth feel listened to and respected, the camp has a “free choice programming model,” allowing campers to decide for themselves which activities they would like to do.
Kate Runyon, interim executive director of the Triangle Foundation, who has participated in the camp over the past two years, says campers usually arrive very “giddy” and excited about spending time with other LGBT youth.
The camp allows LGBT youth to explore the “breadth and depth and complexities of the LGBT movement,” says Runyon. She adds that it empowers youth to accept who they are, “rather than duplicating heteronormative behavior.”
“One of the things I’m proud of is [that campers] form a deep connection in one week’s time and are equipped with knowledge to create change,” she says. Some of these connections happen so fast, Runyon adds, that several couples have developed from the camp.
“The youth voice really comes across,” says Varnum, and it gives him a “strong and vibrant hope for the next generation.”
Campers come from all over the country, and in the past some have even come from outside the United States. This summer will be the Camping.OUT’s third operating year and Varnum expects to have about 30 campers (the camp’s first year had 15). This year’s the camp will run from Aug. 12–17. Typically the camp has been advertised through mailings, PFLAG and even FaceBook.
Registration costs around $500, depending on how early you register. For those who are financially strapped, there is a scholarship fund supported by organizations including the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Advocates for Youth and PFLAG. The camp is licensed by the Michigan Department of Human Services.
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