Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth at Camp

On April 14^th of 2015 I had the opportunity to present a webinar on Working with LGBTQ Clients, a basic sensitivity and 101 training on how to define, talk about, and work with folks who identify as LGBTQ. After the presentation there was a discussion on sleeping arrangements at summer camps and the best ways to protect those that are disenfranchised due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.  At my current place of work, I do not interact with anybody under the age of 16. Our main goal is to provide safe housing services to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. I have never worked in an overnight summer camp setting, but, regardless – safety is of major concern for us at the Ali Forney Center and many of the same concepts apply. 

I had suggested that because children in general educational settings are often rewarded for following the rules and given consequences for breaking the rules – that this framework could be applied to a camp setting. Every time a camper was heard or seen bullying, being disrespectful, or making fun of a peer because they identify as or are perceived to be part of the LGBTQ community;  they would lose a privilege that is normally given to campers on any given day.  On the flip side, any time a young person was seen being an ally – standing up for their peers, trying to stop bullying behaviors, or being intentionally inclusive to someone who has been considered an outsider; these young people would gain an extra privilege. Similar to a “golden star” system in the classroom, young people would be recognized and rewarded for being role models at camp, while simultaneously assisting staff in maintaining a safe space for all of the campers.

Children have the power to be leaders in their peer groups. Another idea I had was to elect, or appoint, a young person in each cabin to be “Cabin Leader,” or “Safety Monitor.”  This person would be responsible for holding their peers accountable to respectful, kind, and non-violent behaviors.  The leaders of the cabins would be given a basic understanding of what signs to look out for and what the process is when they witness discrimination in their cabin.  Staff would always be included in this process, and young people should always know how to reach their assigned staff person in these cases. This would be especially important in bunks where there are transgender youth.  Transgender youth should always be given power to choose which gender they feel safest bunking with. Not all transgender girls (people whose sex was assigned male at birth but who now identify as female) might want to bunk with cisgender (people who identify with the sex assigned to them at birth) girls, and vice versa.  Staff should always honor their choice or do their best to facilitate the safest and most respectful sleeping arrangements for these young people.   Staff should also be intentional about bunking transgender youth with other young people that demonstrate their ability to accept and honor their peers’ identities. “Cabin Leaders” or “Safety Monitors” would also be rewarded for maintaining the cohesion of their cabins.

If your camp does not already, all staff should be mandated to competency trainings for working with LGBTQ youth.  This should be given as much priority as any other safety training (First Aid, Universal Precautions, CPR, etc.)  The mental health of LGBTQ young people is largely determined by their environments, in their ability to be who they are without being harmed or bullied or told they do not exist or aren’t real. If staff cannot uphold a safe space for their campers, how will they hold campers to this necessary standard?

Link to webinar: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p1uab18szaj/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

Nicole Giannone is currently Director of Program Evaluation, Training and Advocacy at the Ali Forney Center in New York, NY.