Camp or social group for trans/gender non-conforming child
I am looking for a camp or social group for an elementary school child who is gender non-conforming. The idea would be to give them an opportunity to be around and connect with other kids who are also in a similar boat and get positive social support in a nurturing environment. Does anyone know of any resources?
Mar 18, 2019
Parent Replies
I realize this may not be exactly what you have in mind, but my non binary teenager and several of their trans/non binary friends have been working at Camp Jack Hazard for the last few summers and will all be there again this year. CJH has a warm, supportive environment with traditional camp activities, including a backpacking trip in each camp session. I believe several trans kids attended last summer, and I know that the whole camp staff will welcome and nurture your child. I think it's worth checking out. Best of luck.
Hi! For the past three years, there was an East Bay summer camp called Rainbow Day Camp specifically for transgender and gender-fluid/creative/diverse kids. The leadership group is reforming this year under the name Camp Indigo. The only info I have for it is a GoFundMe fundraiser (message me for the link or google it). Their email is thecampindigo [at] gmail.com and I imagine you can get on an email newsletter list.
While I don't have direct experience with their camp, a good friend has sent her children there all three years and has nothing but amazing things to say about the program.
Also, there's a terrific local non-profit organization called Our Family Coalition that provides supportive activities for queer families. It's mostly geared toward queer parents, but you can sometimes find events for children who are gender non-conforming. Their website is worth checking out.
Best wishes for a great summer!
[Editor Note] This camp has now closed per their facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/enGendernow/
Bay Area rainbow day camp - we’ve only had good experiences. I’m sure they can lead you to more connections too.
Hello! I had bookmarked this question so I could reply to it at home and lo and behold, I just got an email from Gender Spectrum that registration is now open for their summer conference. It's not a summer camp, but it's where you can connect with other parents and find out about more resources for your fam. People over-use the word "life-changing" but in this case it's apt. Attending this conference every summer for, like, all of my kid's teen years was a life-line. Register NOW tho. If money is a concern, they have scholarships and volunteer opportunities. Link is below but if it somehow doesn't post, just google "gender spectrum July 20" or similar and you should be able to find it.
https://www.genderspectrum.org/2019-conference-and-symposium/
Our favorite sitter is gender non-conforming and is always a counselor at the Gender Spectrum Conference in Moraga every summer. I found this link: https://www.genderspectrum.org/2019-conference-and-symposium/
Since it's local, maybe there is the opportunity to find other kids/families nearby to bond with, or to hear about other groups and activities in the area.