Tl;dr: Come to Camp It Up! You won't regret it.
Longer wordy version: I have watched what seems like generations go through Camp It Up! as a Bay Area Queer. I always longed to be a mama and have that experience myself, but it did not seem like it would happen as I was not a mama.
Eventually I moved to Gainesville, Florida with my Butch Beau and in 2019 we became parents to the most magical, quirky, silly, nature obsessed and playful little girl. Its fair to say I have a dreamboat family. A neurospicy family. A committed and resilient family.
That little kiddo is now freshly 7 years old and we came all the way to Camp It Up! from Gainesville, Florida, with no idea what we would be in for. But Joey, an internet friend at the time, really kept me in the loop and encouraged us to come.
It was a long trek--I won't lie about that. Harrowing in some ways. But we made it. And the validation that we were in the best place for us became apparent upon driving into camp.
OFRC staff Arwynn welcomed us, and then we went to the registration and were met by a lovely woman with a shiny gem on her tooth (like me!) and its like angels were singing. Vivian welcomed us so warmly, I thought our faces were going to crack from smiling so hard.
Because we travelled so far, OFRC lent us bedding for our cabin, and CIU boss Joey hooked us up with high weight capacity rainbow camping chairs and a mirror--she looks out for her people!
OFRC and CIU! go out of their way to make the space welcoming, genuinely inclusive, and largely accessible.
From beginning to end, even in the hard parts, we were held by a loving community--my kid made a beautiful and unlikely connection with an older kid that was wonderful to witness. The sense of belonging she felt was so apparent. The food was great and there were options for folks with specific nutritional needs. Water was abundant--and it was hot! Showering was lovely while overlooking the creek. The toilets were always clean and the bathroom was in great shape. There was always a puzzle in progress to join in on and meet new people.
We ate, we laughed, we cried, we floated, and we connected.
Our kid performed in the talent show, something we would never have expected from her. Which tells me she felt held, wholly.
Coming from the South, a place where movements such as the ones that would even make space for something like CIU to happen all the way in California, but is still viewed as a place Queers should not live---well, I have to say we came with a bit of a chip on our shoulder, because people historically say terrible things about the South when they learn we live there, and subsequently tell us to leave. Which is complicated. And nuanced. We are so thrilled that we got none of that from any of the lovely people we met. They were more curious about our life and what it looked like at home. And wondered if we have a solid community--of which I was happy to report yes and talk about the socioeconomic, racial, geographic, and natural nuances of being Queers of Color living in the cultural South. Wow. Camping with people who get this nuance? Sign me up for 2027! We needed this and we will need it again and again. Oh, also, there are Camperships (scholarships)!
Our last night at CIU! we walked to our cabin with our kiddo and her new friend, and howled at the moon. It was a perfect last night.
I really hope to recruit some folks from this side of the country to make the trek next year. It can only make it an even more rich experience. read more