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Manitoba camp for gay teens a success
Filed under: Teens, Gay Parenting, Places To Go, In The News
Many kids go away to camp during the summer. Some are general outdoorsy-type camps while others are more focused and specialized. When I was younger, I spent several summers at a camp that included hikes, canoeing, arts and crafts, and about six hours of vocal rehearsals each day. This summer, a new camp took place outside Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada.Camp Aurora was Manitoba's first summer camp for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth and, by all accounts, it was a roaring success. There was, like at many summer camps these days, a ropes course, a rock climbing wall, and swimming, but there were also workshops on Body Image, Healthy Relationships, 'Zine Making, and Healthy Choices. There was also a discussion panel of Out LGBTT community members.
The camp's organizers wanted to focus on "building and nurturing the leadership potential and resiliency of LGBTT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-identified, and Two-Spirit) and allied youth" so they can "make significant contributions to their school, community, and home environments." Twenty-nine youths ranging in age from fourteen to twenty-one attended the four-day camp.
I think it's great that there was such great support and that the camp was so successful, but I can't help but feel saddened that there is still a need for it. It's a shame that these kids can't just go to the same camps as everyone else and still get the support they need and have the great experiences they deserve. Perhaps someday, that will happen. For now, I'm glad this camp did so well.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-02-2007 @ 9:43PM
SKL said...Homosexual youths can and do go to the same camps as everyone else. It's not like they have a huge "GAY" tattoo on their foreheads or like they try to molest the other kids in their same-sex cabin. They like the same things other kids like.
The difference here is that the topics discussed focus on issues unique to this narrow population.
I probably wouldn't pay to send my kids to this camp, but I guess some parents might find it helpful if their kids are having trouble dealing with difficult issues.
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9-04-2007 @ 8:07PM
Jonny said...Roger,
Thank you so much for the wonderful article and write-up about Camp Aurora.
As one of the organizers of the camp I really appreciate the positive feedback we've received across the country!
I too agree that in a perfect world camps like Camp Aurora would not need to exist, but we don't live in a perfect world. Summer camps are a highlight for many peoples childhoods, but for LGBTT youth those experiences usually aren't.
Providing a 4 day get-away from the everyday world to a completely supportive environment for the youth in attendance can be a life changing opportunity.
This has nothing to do with youths having a HUGE Gay tattoo on their foreheads and completely nothing to do with "molesting", which seems to be a comment rooted in homophobia. The fact is that many queer youth are not able to be themselves and be safe in a traditional camp environment.
I think the campers comments speak loud and clear for the need of this sort of targeted camp program.
"You'll never know how much you did for me. I love you guys for that."
"I think it's awesome to have a place where people can come + be totally themselves without needing to feel different than others. I've heard many people at camp say that here they just feel normal + I think thats one of the most important aspects of the program."
"I think it's awesome to have a place where people can come + be totally themselves without needing to feel different than others. I've heard many people at camp say that here they just feel normal + I think thats one of the most important aspects of the program."
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