Gay College Leaders Head to Summer Camp

The thought of camping is often synonymous with pitching a tent in some wilderness location, of becoming one with nature. This summer, a group of LGBT college students and leaders are gearing up for a different kind of camp experience.

This July, Campus Pride will be hosting its fifth annual Summer Leadership Camp at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. There will be no need for the "Happy Campers" to try and figure out how to put up their tents or to struggle to start a campfire. And you can forget about sleeping bags: These campers will have all the comforts of a dormitory room and enjoy stove-cooked meals in the campus' dining hall.

Instead of calling the five-day and five-night event a conference or symposium, Campus Pride Executive Director Shane L. Windmeyer said the organization came up with the camp concept because, "When you go to camp, you develop friendships." And that's exactly what has happened at past such events.

Besides forming lifelong friendships, Windmeyer said the Summer Leadership Camp helps build self-esteem and develop leadership skills in the campers. In the past, there have been some of the hallmarks of a sleepaway camp, such as bonfires, cookouts and roasting marshmallows. "But it's going to be LBGT, so we're not going to be outside in a tent," he added with a chuckle.

It truly would not be camp without campers receiving a T-shirt. On the first day, participants will get their bright orange T-shirt with "Happy Camper" on the front. They will also receive a survival bag filled with various goodies.

As with other summer camps, the weeklong event will offer morning fitness activities and arts & crafts. Instead of painting or making some handmade ornament, however, these campers will learn Drag 101, how to apply make up for either a drag queen or king. In addition, there will be plenty of workshops and discussions on various topics entertainment. This year, as a special surprise, one of the drag queens from the Logo's "Rupaul's Drag Race" will make an appearance.

Becoming Tomorrow's Gay Leaders
The mission of the Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp is to build leadership among LGBT and allied undergraduate college students and to create safer and more inclusive campus communities in the United States. The camp is based on a social change model of leadership developed at the University of California-Los Angeles.

"The educational program promotes progressive critical thinking and leadership concepts built on a foundation of social justice and civility," Windmeyer explained. "Expert faculty and presenters encourage activism and individual growth to become a more effective change agent and leader on campus." The "campy" environment (in both senses) encourages participants to openly express themselves and have fun.

When students leave the camp they leave with an action plan to take back to their college campus. The goal is for them to go back and to make some positive changes on their campus. While the mission of the camp is to develop better leaders, Windmeyer said the camp also helps many of the campers to get to know who they are and to meet others with whom they can identify and feel welcome.

About 60 to 65 students are expected to attend this year's camp, to be held July 19 to 24. Last year, about 55 students participated.

Linda Welch, Vanderbilt's director of conferences, said the private university was happy to be hosting the Leadership Camp for the second year. Campus Pride had originally applied to have their camp held on the campus.

"We look forward to all of our groups," Welch said of the various camps that are held there. The campus also hosts sports, religious and cheerleading camps during the summer months. "Vanderbilt accepts everyone, and we look forward to hosting it."

Vanderbilt presents a case study in a welcoming environment. The school has a strict policy against discrimination and abuse. "The camp fits right in line with our mission of having a diverse and safe learning environment," he added.

"There is no other camp for LGBT students to learn leadership," Windmeyer noted. "We filled a void... We invest in the student leaders. They are the future of our equality."

As the countdown for this year's camp is about to begin, Windmeyer and past camp attendees describes the atmosphere during the leadership camp as electric. For some students, it's the first time they are around other LGBT students.

Georgian Nikita Burks first attended the camp in 2008. Then a student at Columbia College, a private liberal arts college for women in South Carolina, Burks was looking for a program where she felt she belonged. She found Campus Pride on the Internet.

At that time, the camp was taking place on the campus of Towson University in Maryland. Burks was at the time struggling to come to terms with her lesbian identity. But she felt welcomed as soon as she arrived at the Towson campus.

"We started bonding and talking about our experiences," she said, "Some of them were good and some were not," she said of their talks of their experiences being LGBT. For Burks, her reasons for attending camp were mainly "to find somewhere to fit in, but after attending I felt I could do something," she added. When she returned to her small campus, she was moved to get more involved in student organizations. "I went to camp for me and left with the decision to help others," Burks added.

While it was fun and exciting, Burks said it was an intense five days. At the time, she'd only come out to a few friends. But it was during some of the camp sessions that Burks said she realized she had to come out to herself. She received the much-needed support she needed at camp.

Burks worked her way up the camp ranks from pride leader and mentor and now is a part of the camp staff. She has attended the camp for the past four years and said each year she learned more about herself.

Another former camper, David Topping, graduated from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., two weeks ago. He attended the camp twice. As a member of the executive board of his schools' LGBT Student Services Center, he received a grant to attend. "I really got a lot of leadership development and training and met a lot of new friends," he said of his experiences. While serving as president of his school's LGBT Student Services Center, he oversaw membership triple.

"The camp is a very supportive environment," Topping said. While it was a fun and exciting experience, Topping said the goal of Campus Pride and its Leadership Camps is serious and important. The plan is for college campuses everywhere to be more supportive and accepting of all of its students.

During this year's camp finale, the "draguation," Daniel Hernandez, Jr., the student intern credited with saving the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) after the Jan. 8 shooting attack in Tucson, Ariz., will be the guest keynote speaker and will receive an honorary National Voice & Action Leadership Award. Hernandez is an openly gay student at the University of Arizona. Camp volunteers will receive a Campy, a bronze bobble head statue of a cheerleader for their assistance and helping to make their camp experience a success.

Campus Pride represents the only national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students. The organization is a volunteer, student-driven network. Campus Pride launched in October of 2002. It started as an online community and resource clearinghouse under the name Campus PrideNet. In 2006, the organization broadened its outreach efforts and restructured as the current educational non-profit organization Campus Pride.

With homophobia still rampant on many college campuses, Campus Pride is on a mission to encourage and foster LGBT leaders to return to their campuses and to continue to fight for equality and safer campuses.

Clementi Suicide Points to How Much Remains to Be Done
It was just eight months ago that Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in New York City after he was recorded secretly a student using a webcam to record a sexual encounter between Clementi and another man.

Campus Pride offered its support to the New Jersey institution's Queering the Air organization and the group's call for the Rutgers to move for safer campus policies and practices. Queering the Air, a queer-centric social justice organization, held a march and a rally on Oct. 28.

"My hope is that every student leaves with a way to make their campus better for other students," he added. "Every student we touch will touch hundreds of others."

It is not too late to register for this year's session of camp. There is a Happy Camper Discount for $795 if you register on or before May 16. After May 16, registration is $895. Registration includes all lodging for five nights, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day as well as all educational program materials and entertainment. A schedule will be provided upon arrival and is subject to change.