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Rainbow Camp 2013 for LGBTQ & Allied Youth ages 13-17
Posted on: 01/27/2013 21:10
Rainbow Camp: for LGBTQ & Allied Youth Ages 13-17
Sunday, July 14th 2013 - 16:00 - Friday, July 179h, 2013 - 17:00
“ I'm shaken at the moment. A very good friend of mine from London was just attacked by his parents, his mother said she wished she aborted him and his father tried to strangle him, because he is gay.
After leaving his parents house me & his boyfriend told him to go to the hospital, because he says his head is spinning and his leg is throbbing. He won't tell [the hospital] what happened though, because it was his parents that did it.
He says he can't tell on his family. But this was a hate crime, they said they wanted him dead. What to do?” (forwarded by person on Facebook)
For the second year we will be offering a camp for queer youth and allies, ages 13-17. The camp site will be at the Camp McDougall location (#12679 Highway 17 West, Thessalon, Ontario). We have already booked the week of July 14th to July 19th, 2013 with accommodations for up to 50 campers (we have made the commitment for a minimum of 35 campers). Our target is 40 campers in 2013. The agreement with Camp McDougall gives us access to all of their facilities, including accommodations, kitchen staff, camp director, recreation director and two waterfront directors. We will be hiring our own counselors, who we will train in issues of sexual diversity and gender issues. We find counselors, both allies and members of the queer community, who will be able to relate to the experiences of the youth. This year our plan is to hire 12 camp counselors in order to provide a ratio of 3 campers to 1 adult based on 40 campers. In addition, several volunteers will be on site. The resources will be used to facilitate the travel and expenses for campers and counselors. At our last camp we were fortunate enough to offer bursaries and travel subsidies to all of our campers, many of whom came from all across Ontario. Our campers came to us from CAS (Children’s Aid Society), group homes and circumstances which they discussed as stressful. This year we are particularly concerned as many of the youth in our communities will not have had the opportunity to participate in GSAs (Gay Straight Alliances), due to fewer extracurricular activities being available in schools over the past academic year.
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chemgal
Posted on: 02/27/2013 11:48
Jobam, I agree with SG. I had just assumed you had permission. The last one would also be easy for someone to guess, a lesbian who raised her daughter's father? There probably aren't many situations like that.
Even if it was the most generic statements, if I found someone posted sections of a private conversation without asking me first, I would be upset. If these statements were intended to be public for a website or something, then I think it would be fair to post them elsewhere as well.
SG
Posted on: 02/27/2013 13:18
chemgal,
My point is that these children have their lives, their feelings, their thoughts....as private as it gets (who you are attracted to or who you have sex with) examined, explored, talked about, questioned....
It happens even by their parents. Parents talk about and post stuff online all the time that they likely shouldn't. So, I do not think "it is already out there" is a defense.
Telling the folks at church, family, the neighbour, your doctor, grandma... that you are gay is something parents can and do do, without the youth's approval or consent. Does that make it right?
The person your parent tells then tells others... (it begs "is nothing sacred?")
IMO To be the person that someone's mom or dad told does not entitle you to share what is not yours to share. It was not theirs to share with you.
Safe space means safe space.
Youth have rights to their own levels of disclosure.
They should decide when and if they will come out.
IMO they should also determine what info is revealed publicly about their time at camp, time since camp, etc.
IMO they, and they alone, should be the one's giving permission to talk about their time at camp (not mom and dad and definitely not camp)
I would have, as a gay teen, seen this as a violation of confidence if my mom told them something and they shared it without MY permission. In fact, if they even asked me about something my mom said in order to gain my permission, it might freak me out.
I would wonder, if they share conversations mom had with me, won't they share conversations I have with mom?
I would see it as violating trust.
My point is that confidentiality means confidentiality and one person cannot give you permission for another person.
I also think that sometimes we are called upon to use common sense and discretion. Just because a parent or even someone themselves says you can tell, does not always mean you should.
chemgal
Posted on: 02/27/2013 13:23
SG, good points. I'm still sleepy so it sort of flew over my head that it was a parent talking about a child too.
I'll still stick with my earlier post though, private conversations should not be shared unless there is permission.
Even with permission, it might not be appropriate to share.
Jobam
Posted on: 03/02/2013 11:11
Help send a youth to camp.
Jobam
Posted on: 03/15/2013 11:55
New website launched today!!!!!!
www.rainbowcamp.ca
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 03/15/2013 19:47
Looks like fun Jobam!
BTW - I took a look at your registration form and it asks for the campers' age as of August 2012 (but the grade for Fall 2013). Is this a typo? In case of August of birthdays, may I suggest asking for their age as of August 31st, 2013?
Jobam
Posted on: 03/15/2013 19:53
Thank you....you can never have enough people for proof reading.....
Dcn. Jae
Posted on: 03/20/2013 22:39
It's a cute website. I like the moose and the birds.
Jobam
Posted on: 03/21/2013 20:18
Hey folks - I just had to share this with you....maybe things are changing.....sorry for the blunt language....
New York blogger Rafi D’Angelo recently overheard a conversation on the subway between two “construction- worker types” who discovered they had something in common.
“I’ve been doing this for about six months now, trying to catch interesting things on the subway,” posted D’Angelo. “But I haven’t had any luck so far because I ride boring trains. Today was good, though.”
The future is here, folks.
Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/overheard-on-the-subway-the-coolest-conversation-ever-between-two-dads-with-gay-sons-20130321/#ixzz2ODtStlAJ
Read more at http://www.queerty.com/overheard-on-the-subway-the-coolest-conversation-ever-between-two-dads-with-gay-sons-20130321/#0SpSd83fYimuGOc1.99
Welcome Friend
Posted on: 03/28/2013 10:03
Jobam
Posted on: 03/28/2013 11:32
A Resurrection Story
Like everyone, I have my blind spots and stereotypes—like, my assumption that small towns aren’t all that accepting of differences, and if, just for instance, you’re an LGBT person you should probably head for the big city as soon as you can. Well, let me tell you an Easter story that blows a hole in my stereotypes!
Up in northern Ontario—north as in you have to turn the map over to take a look at the other half of the province—way up there, was a young boy named Isaac. Except he didn’t feel like a boy. Rather, he felt like a girl who was stuck inside the wrong body. His family knew Isaac was different, and they visited doctors, psychologists, and a whole bunch of experts. Now here, I guess, is the first miracle: nobody told Isaac he was crazy. Instead, they agreed with him—he was a girl in a boy’s body. Which was going to make life very difficult, but it was his truth.
And here’s the second miracle: Isaac’s family said, with no reservations or conditions, “We love you!” And when Isaac slowly began to appear as Crystal, they said, “Welcome!”
Now, Crystal’s family are United Church folk—members and worshippers at a little church in a small town in the north. Not the larger, liberal, affirming congregation in town but the little church that some think of as more conservative. Holy Week was fast approaching, and everyone was excited about Easter Sunday worship. Only trouble was, when it came to church, it was always Isaac who had shown up. But this year was going to be different.
On Easter Sunday, as Crystal got ready for church, she put on fancy shoes, her hairband, and a beautiful dress. And off the family went. At Children’s Time, when all the kids came forward, Crystal was part of the crowd. Well, not actually a crowd—remember, this was a small church, where everybody pretty much knew everyone else. People were staring, whispering, and surreptitiously pointing at the little girl sitting on the steps at the front of the church. The minister took a good long look at this new person who had arrived for worship, and she said, “Well, hello. You must be Crystal. You’re very beautiful. I’m happy to meet you. Welcome to church!” And then she proceeded to tell the Easter story just like always.
And that was that. Except, of course, it wasn’t. It’s never that simple. There were phone calls—lots of them—and much upset in the congregation. So the minister called folk together and said, “We’re surprised; we don’t understand. Of course it feels strange. Isaac isn’t Isaac anymore but now is Crystal. But she’s a member of our church; this is where she belongs. She has trusted us enough to let us see who she really is. She needs us. This isn’t easy for her. We have to help her. We’re called to accept Crystal, to love her for the person she is, the person she is becoming, the person she was brave enough and trusting enough to share with us. We need to say, ‘Welcome to the church, Crystal.’”
And they did. I don’t know all the details, and I’m sure it wasn’t always easy. But I believe the church’s welcome will be one of the reasons Crystal will thrive in adolescence, unlike so many other young transgendered people who try to kill themselves. Crystal will have known a place of acceptance in her family and her church.
Which sounds to me like resurrection occurred that Easter in a little church in a small northern Ontario town, where followers of Jesus discovered and proclaimed that “if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation” for “there is no longer Jew or Greek…slave or free…male or female; for all of [us]…are one in Christ Jesus.”
RitaTG
Posted on: 03/28/2013 11:59
Jobam ..... I have tears in my eyes! ....happy tears!!!!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story ..... it really touches my heart.
This is the way it should be......
Hugs to all..... and Happy Easter!!!!
Rita
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 03/28/2013 13:26
What a beautiful Easter story that is!
Jobam
Posted on: 04/01/2013 11:52
Jobam
Posted on: 05/13/2013 11:52
Jobam
Posted on: 05/14/2013 19:18
Rainbow Camp promo PowerPoint
Jobam
Posted on: 06/02/2013 08:37
Some fantastic news for Rainbow Camp – PoudFM, The Gladstone Hotel and Toronto Pride are promoting camp. To put this in perspective, a small town in Northern Ontario now has open to them a 2 million strong target market. This is truly a blessing. We can now reach more youth and those who are interesting in supporting camp. Wow!
If you know someone who might be interested in attending this event please pass the word…..
For the girl who really wanted to wear a tux,
For the quarterback who wanted to slow dance with the tight end,
For all the kids who hid out behind the punch bowl... or skipped prom altogether because established categories couldn't handle our vibrant range of gender expression.
103.9 Proud FM wants to Turn Back Time!!
Proud FM is Late to the Prom! We're turning back time to give you the queer prom you always dreamed of!
Join Proud FM kick off the Pride festivities on Wednesday June 26th in the ballroom of the Gladstone Hotel for a prom to remember. Enjoy music, dancing and a Slow Jam DJ Battle between DJ Scrumptious Booty and Proud FM's own DJ Bingo Bob! Lighting and decoration provided by S4 Sound Sensations. Door Proceeds support Rainbow Camp, a registered charity summer camp for LGBTQ youth. If you ever wished for the chance to go to prom with the date you really wanted...now is your chance!
Brought to you by the station that knows it's better late than never.
http://www.gladstonehotel.com/event/late-to-the-prom-turn-back-time/
Jobam
Posted on: 07/10/2013 07:27
Rainbow Camp is full!!!!!!
carolla
Posted on: 07/11/2013 21:36
Great to hear Jobam! Wishing you all a wonderful session of camping together. Did you see the recent report out of Univ of Waterloo on the benefits of kids attending camp?
chansen
Posted on: 07/11/2013 22:05
Their parents get to watch better movies?
carolla
Posted on: 07/11/2013 22:12
Their parents get to watch better movies?
Well, that too, as I recall! The first year BOTH our kids went to camp, we dropped them off & continued on to a Lodge for a few days of R&R ourselves!
carolla
Posted on: 07/11/2013 22:18
Here's a link to the study report ...
http://www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca/~tdglover/PDF%20Files/CSCRP%202011.pdf
Jobam
Posted on: 08/01/2013 13:42
Radio Interview with ProudFM today.
seeler
Posted on: 08/02/2013 05:55
Great!!!!!!
carolla
Posted on: 08/02/2013 17:48
Good interview!