Queer kid camps: youngsters and teens from queer families get a summer recess from homophobia."These kids have to come out every day;" says Holly Wagg, president of the Ottawa-based not-for-profit organization that oversees inclusive Camp Ten Oaks. "It could just be someone saying 'Let's draw a picture of our families!' and you're in kindergarten, you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. anyone--what should you do?' Wagg's group has one answer: a camp specifically (but not exclusively) for children of gay; lesbian, bisexual, or transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. parents, opening its tent flaps this summer in Ontario's Gatineau Hills For other uses, see Gatineau (disambiguation). The Gatineau Hills are a geological formation in Canada that makes up part of the southern tip of the Canadian Shield, and acts as the northern shoulder of the Ottawa Valley. . Ten Oaks staffers looked to the success of six like-minded North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. summer programs--most notably; Camp Ten Trees, run by Seattle dykes amid snowcapped peaks and glimmering water; and New Jersey's uberprogressive, consensus-run Mountain Meadow, where Wagg was Teen Camp director. These one and two-week retreats, mostly initiated in the past decade by established gay community organizations and operated during off weeks at established summer campsites, give tots and teens their versions of the gay vacation. Relaxed gender roles and antihomophobia powwows coexist with traditional activities such as canoeing, pottery, and campfires. "We had a kid come," says Emmy Howe, founder of Massachusetts-based CampOut, "who was 13 and had never met a lesbian besides her mom." One 14-year-old Mountain Meadow camper started off homophobic and conflicted about her mom's sexuality; she came out herself, started a gay-straight alliance, and is now proud of her family. It's a challenge for these camps to live the diversity they celebrate. Nevertheless, variety prevails. Some camps, like the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. community center's Youth Enrichment Services, largely serve youth of color--more than half of Mountain Meadow campers, for instance, are African-American--and have varied staff to match. A deaf Mountain Meadow camper challenged staff to create programs based on kinesthetics. Family structures also may vary--as they should, Wagg insists. Ten Oaks "even has some straight kids with straight families who feel strongly about social justice, or the parents are very much part of the queer community," she says. "We have campers from mixed-orientation marriages and collective families," she adds, and Ten Oaks welcomes not only gay kids themselves but polyamorous families and their allies. Non-straight teens and preteens also grace most programs (Ten Trees' second session is specifically for them), so if you're an auntie whose young relative is, as it were, family, you might encourage him or her to roast marshmallows free of homophobia--and parents. A recent "Dykes to Watch Out For Dykes to Watch Out For (sometimes DTWOF) is a comic strip by Alison Bechdel. The strip began in 1983. DTWOF documents the life, loves, and politics of a fairly diverse group of characters (most of them lesbians) living in a medium-sized city in the United " cartoon strip has hip dyke Jasmine retrieving her trans daughter from Camp Ten Trees: "Did you miss me?" "Not really," replies the preteen pre·teen adj. 1. Relating to or designed for children especially between the ages of 10 and 12. 2. Being a child especially between the ages of 10 and 12; preadolescent. n. A preteen boy or girl. nonchalantly non·cha·lant adj. Seeming to be coolly unconcerned or indifferent. See Synonyms at cool. [French, from Old French, present participle of nonchaloir, to be unconcerned : non-, , towering over a mini-James Dean. "This is my boyfriend Alex. He started transitioning when he was 9!" Guide to camps All camps' costs are per person and include lodging, meals, activities, and program costs unless otherwise noted. FOR KIDS Camp Lavender Hill A hill in South London near Clapham Junction. The Street name Lavender Hill is a continuation of St John's Hill and forms the section of the A3036 as it rises eastwards out of the Falconbrook valley at Clapham Junction, and retains that name for approximately 1. , near Nevada City, Calif. (established 1992, reopens 2006): 707-544-8150. Woodlands camp includes campfires, solar-heated pool, "circle time," and more. For kids ages 7-13 (counselors in training, or CITs, 14-18), Fees: $495 (financial assistance available). CampOut, Athol, Mass. (established 2000): late August, 978-249-2656, Cheese making and nature communing are part of the Farm School, where "the one rule is to be kind," says director Ben Holmes. Ages 9-14 (CITs must be born before 1989). Fees: $600 (assistance available). Camp Ten Oaks, Gatineau Hills, Canada: premiering August 21-27, 613-730-6983. Lakeside camp with arts, sports, and social justice programming. Ages 8-16, Sliding scale slid·ing scale n. A scale in which indicated prices, taxes, or wages vary in accordance with another factor, as wages with the cost-of-living index or medical charges with a patient's income. : $16-$603. Camp Ten Trees, Kitsap Peninsula The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state (U.S.) that lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound. Hood Canal separates Kitsap Peninsula from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula. , Washington (established 2001): August 14-20 and August 21-27, 206-985-2864. Emphasizes cooperation and confidence, First session ages 8-15 (CITs 16-18); second session for gag and questioning teens 13-18. Sliding scale: $50-$800; 25% discount for CITs. Mountain Meadow, southern New Jersey (established 1981, revived 1991): August 7-20, 215-772-1107, Boating, antibullying workshops, and electives like hip-hop dance, Ages 9-15 (CITs 16, junior staff 17). Sliding scale: $80-$3,500; 15% off-each additional camper; CITs; 50% off; junior staff: paid. Rainbow Spirit, Nova Scotia, Canada (established 2000); July 10-16 (junior leaders from July 8), 902-455-0186. Classic summer camp on a lake. Their main objective is confidence building. Ages 7-18. $172-$237. YES Summer Community Camp, Stillwater, N.J. (established 1997): August 21-28, 212-620-7310. YMCA-style program (frogs, toads, and bears-oh my!), plus self-affirmation and self-exploration, and HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and drug abuse prevention, with weekly "family" meetings throughout the summer. For queer youths ages 13-21. Free. FOR FAMILIES Camp It Up! near Quincy, Calif., August 7-14; 510-336-0383, Adults: $64-$84; kids: $44-$76 per night; free under age 1. COLAGE COLAGE Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere Family Week, Provincetown, Mass., July 30-August 6; 415-861-5437, and Family Week Saugatuck, Douglas, Mich., July 9-14; 616-218-9679, Cost per family is $100-$120 (no room and board provided); youth program participation fee $50 plus $30 per additional child. Family Pride Camp, Newton, N.J., Memorial Day weekend 2006; 202-331-5015. Ages 9 and up; $85-$130; ages 5-8: $65-$95; free under age 5. Keshet Camp (for Jewish families), outside Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park (yōsĕm`ĭtē), 761,266 acres (308,205 hectares), E central Calif.; est. 1890 as a result of the efforts of conservationist John Muir. Located in the Sierra Nevada, it is a glacier-scoured area of great beauty; Mt. Calif., GLBT GLBT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Weekend, September 22-25; 415-543-2267. Adults: $280; kids: $130-$225. Rainbow Families Camp, Alexandria, Minn.; August 6-8 and August 26-29; 612-827-7731. Meals fee (required, good for camp duration) for adults: $34-$50; kids: $15-$45. Lodging:$15-$30 per person per night. Spectrum Family Camp, Glen Ellen, Calif., July 22-25; 415-457-1115, ext. 226. Ages 12 and up: $175 -$260; kids under 12: $50-$185; free under age 2. |
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