Photos courtesy Camp No CounselorsPhotos courtesy Camp No Counselors
Some people I talked to were there to heal a bad breakup, some for vacation, some to try their hand at anal sex.
Lawrence noted that he hoped queer persons could use these weekends to reclaim often unsavory childhood camp experiences.
Photos courtesy Camp No Counselors
The entire group of LGBTQ+ campers and counselors. Photo courtesy of Camp No Counselors.
The Future of Queer Camp
Was this the best weekend ever? Truly, it might have been. There was a safety here, a wild specificity that queer people like myself are rarely treated to. Sure, my bunk was a noisy cave of snores and, yes, someone left poppers in my shower and, of course, I lost a game of dodgeball by not being able to catch or throw — but it was good fun. The weekend was a nourishing escape that I didn't anticipate: it challenged me to let all my baggage around being cool, intelligent, and sexy go, to experience life without diagnosing it. It reiterated how therapeutic queer-only spaces are. No one needed to explain themselves. We understood each other. And even when we didn't, we supported each other no matter what.
As Alex said, that's the point. "This is what camp does," he said. "It brings people together . . . It's a chance to leave behind life and meet and connect with people solely based on content of character. I think that's beautiful."