On April 14th 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.
