If you went to summer camp, no matter what station you went to, you probably have a lot of the same remembrances: outside games, some craft projects or scientific experiments, even a foolish song or two.
And, of course, lots of new companions.
That’s exactly what Camp Indigo is around, according to Executive Director Andrew Kramer. It just so happens that the majority of the guests are trans, nonbinary, or express sex in a unique way.
The day camp was established by Kramer and his wife in Oakland, California, ten summer before, with the intention of providing a place for transgender children to concentrate solely on being children. Kramer, who is transgender himself, said the inspiration came from a co- founder’s daughter, who wanted to go to a camp where she would n’t be the only trans kid.
” When you’re 7, you should be thinking about how many rubber rings it takes to make a fruit blow, not]wondering],’ Is everyone going to look at me if I go in this restroom?'” Kramer said. ” We take away that pressure part”.
Younger campers rely on art, technology, activity and “play- based” activities — lots of tag, relay games, and “messy and crazy” fun, according to Kramer. Adolescents, however, split their time on and off the school. They may also occasionally bring their own bowling or picnic to the camp, where they might also produce “zines” or other art projects.
” We ca n’t politicize joy. We are entitled to practice it.
Andrew Kramer, senior producer of Camp Indigo
” This is just what youngsters do — they gather in social organizations”, Kramer said. ” The change is, in my usual existence, I might be the only trans young people in this area, but at tent, I can experience comfort and safety”.
Camp Indigo has expanded over the years, adding a place in Boulder, Colorado, four seasons ago. Two new websites are coming this summertime — one to Akron, Ohio, and the other to Austin.
Because it’s available to a large portion of the Midwest and has a number of urban areas within a two to three hours travel, Kramer said Ohio was the best choice. As for Texas, it’s a big position that Kramer says is without a tent that’s close to Camp Indigo. Additionally, he was aware of Texas ‘ social environment and how Texas’s state law forbids gender-affirming care for adolescents was implemented next tumble. Texas’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, has tried to investigate families of transgender children for child abuse.
Kramer said he’s seen some Texas kids who feel like they have to keep their kids from being mistaken for transgender. Kramer wants to make sure their children have fun while also knowing that their children are still capable and significant.
” That’s the part we may control”, he said. ” We ca n’t politicize joy. We are entitled to practice it.
Camp Indigo does take some precautions to safeguard campers, such as not making the camp’s precise site known in public. The target is taught to campers and their families the closer the station is finished.
Kramer anticipates that the majority of Austin guests will be from Texas, but guests have frequently traveled from other states to Camp Indigo in California and Colorado.
One Kansas family reported to KUT that she and her 10-year-old child traveled to Camp Indigo in Boulder four times in a column. Due to safety concerns, the baby is not identified as trans in his own neighborhood, and Kansas has passed its own laws restricting transgender rights.
She said attending the camp has been “life changing” for her child.
” Just being able to establish those friends and see that he’s not only, that he’s not the only one, has been really effective for him”, she said. ” They’ve stayed connected over the last few years, and they help each other interact with various things that pop off, whether it’s bullying at school or adjustments that they’re going through, either mentally or physically”.
The mom has also been contacted by Camp Indigo by other parents whose children experience similar experiences.
Being able to develop those relationships is crucial, especially in a hostile environment where there might be people who feel like they are all by themselves,” she said.
Those friends, Kramer said, are at the base of Camp Indigo’s goal. Conversations about gender or identity are n’t the primary focus of camp activities, although those conversations might come up naturally, especially among teen campers.
” It’s really all about society, happiness, normalizing our lived experience and not being alone”, he said.
Scholarships are available, and registration is available for Camp Indigo’s annual Austin tent session in July.
