Camp is a mainstay part of a lot of children’s seasons. Between going on treks, boating, swimming, and arts and crafts, they get to learn new skills, build their trust, and make new friends.
Traditional camps can be a difficult place for trans children, with numerous organizations unable to adequately address the needs of gender-diverse youth and unaware of the potential prejudice they may encounter.
However, there are a few tents in the US that address this by providing secure and affirming environments especially for transgender children, where they can have entertaining while still being their true selves.
In light of rising transphobia and the politicization of transgender lives, PinkNews spoke with staff from the Trans Youth Equality Foundation’s TYEF Camp and Camp Lilac on Sunday (31 March) to discuss their work and why it is important to give them a place to gather.
Susan Maasch, the leader of the Trans Youth Equality Foundation, runs TYEF Camp in New England, which takes children aged between 6 and 16 on an over flee at the end of July.
She stated in our Transgender Day of Visibility cover that what makes their station so unique is how hospitable it is.
“It’s a unique experience for a trans child to be able to be in an environment that is entirely trans. This is really special because these kids will tell you they don’t always feel at home in other camps. Maybe other camps don’t have great policies in place and maybe they are afraid that they’ll be bullied if they’re in a space with a lot of non-transgender kids”.
Camp Lilac, which takes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, agrees with Connor Mahon, who claims that guests who stay with them have the freedom to explore their views and personalities with people who understand them, as well as the freedom to simply enjoy camp activities and to be “free from having to explain or justify their existence.”
Even for just a few days, the experience of being around other transgender people, both peers and adults, is essential for the guests because it helps them see a potential for themselves.
According to Mahon, “nearly all of our tourists spoke about the importance of meeting people like them” and the positive comments Camp Lilac received. “Many of them occur from institutions where they are one of the few, or even the single trans people.
“This can lead to feelings of isolation, but finding people with similar views helps tremendously.
Before attending Camp Lilac, guests usually tell us that they had never met a trans child. In light of the worrying statistics on the emotional wellbeing of transgender and gender-different young people, seeing someone who is just like them and has advanced to age helps them envision their own bright future, which may be life-changing.
Mahon continued, stating that one parent of a trailer said that their baby was always “stuck in self-defense setting” because of the challenging environment they encountered at school.
“At tent, these walls come along, and guests can create deeper connections with peers and grow greatly as people”, Mahon said.
These connections and encounters don’t just include camp itself.
Maasch spoke passionately about how the TYEF crew maintains contact with all of their campers, creating a sense of found household and a wider community beyond the brief moments they spend together over the summer.
Campers who attended the initial TYEF station in 2008, who are now in their mid to late 20s, have kept in touch with the organization and the pals they made, is a testament to this.
Of course, all the advantages these camps offer these boys’ lives do not occur in vain, and they are set against heightened social conflicts, especially in the wake of the upcoming presidential election, where trans and wider LGBTQ+ right will be a contentious battle.
Maasch has witnessed the political environment change over the almost 20 years that TYEF has been in operation, but in 2024 she is beginning to worry about where the upcoming attack will come from campers, parents, and allies.
“The anti-transgender movement is extremely motivated, extremely dirty, and we’re constantly trying to give the guests hope, and fight for what’s right”, she said.
The issue is that [the campers] are discovering that when they listen to the anti-trans movement’s rhetoric, their peers in schools also hear it, giving them permission to feel they could bully you and entice you.
Trans Youth Equality Foundation recently experienced the vileness of this transphobic movement when Maasch was targeted online. As a result, the organization was forced to pay for a new security system and post abusive messages on social media.
The organization does not reveal the location of its camp until a camper is authorized to attend, among other things. This is for this reason. It only takes “one bad person, and there a lot of them out there” to pose a threat to campers and staff.
Similarly, at Camp Lilac, safety has always been of the utmost importance.
“It’s been a little bit of a rough time lately”, Mahon admitted,” but we have to wake up every morning, do this work, be hopeful and convey hope to these kids and their parents”.
Explaining how others can support trans youth, he added:” No matter what you do, it’s important to be vocal and visible.
“Publicly supporting the transgender and gender-diverse community helps to counteract the negativity that is frequently seen online. Additionally, it encourages other allies to join you in making a difference for trans rights and helps trans people in your life feel supported.
TYEF Camp takes place from 26 to 28 July. Camp Lilac runs its first session between 21 and 27 July, and the second from 28 July until 3 August.
