A Boys' Camp to Redefine Gender

[Shana A]

A Boys' Camp to Redefine Gender

By David Rosenberg
Posted Monday, July 15, 2013, at 12:54 PM

http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2013/07/15/_you_are_you_looks_at_a_gender_nonconforming_camp_for_boys_photos.html

Over the past three years, photographer Lindsay Morris has been documenting a four-day camp for gender nonconforming boys and their parents.

The camp, "You Are You" (the name has been changed to protect the privacy of the children and is also the name of Morris' series), is for "Parents who don't have a gender-confirming 3-year-old who wants to wear high heels and prefers to go down the pink aisle in K-Mart and not that nasty dark boys' aisle," Morris said with a laugh.

It is also a place for both parents and children to feel protected in an environment that encourages free expression.

"[The kids] don't have to look over their shoulders, and they can let down their guard. Those are four days when none of that matters, and they are surrounded by family members who support them," Morris said.

Morris has stated that her photographic goal for the project is "to represent the spirit of these boys as they shine." Some of the ways in which the kids shine is through the talent and fashion shows at camp that are popular and for which the campers come well-prepared.

[Jamie D]

Fascinating.

One of the plates from the article:

[Shana A]

I hated summer camps as a kid, and refused to ever go again after attending once.

I would have happily made an exception for attending this camp! 

Shana

[Shana A]

full exhibit here http://lindsaymorris.viewbook.com/you-are-you

These kids are AWESOME!

[Jess42]

They all look happy and comfortable with themselves. That is priceless.

I never went to any summer camp but I agree Shana, I would loved to have gone to this one when I was a kid.

[Jamie D]

full exhibit here http://lindsaymorris.viewbook.com/you-are-you

These kids are AWESOME!

Thank you for posting that Shana. 

[Edina Rene]

I hated summer camps as a kid, and refused to ever go again after attending once.

I would have happily made an exception for attending this camp! 

Shana

I mostly hated my one year at a summer camp.  I used to sneak out often to get away from it all for a while and take a nice walk, and the best day I had that summer was when I sneaked out in a different direction and discovered suburban homes nearby.  In one of the front lawns were a couple of girls playing and I went and played with them for a while till their mother came out and chased me away.

[Cindy]

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/a-summer-camp-for-transgender-children-20130725-2qkw3.html



Is there hope after all?

[Joelene9]

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/a-summer-camp-for-transgender-children-20130725-2qkw3.html



Is there hope after all?

There's hope now.  I went to two summer camps in the 1960's.  One hosted by the Mennonites and the other, The Salvation Army.  These camps were open to lower income families.  These were good people.  The Mennonite one, we hiked on the Fourth of July to a ridge across from Pike's Peak and heard the racers going up it and saw the helicopters carrying some of the race cars down.  The Salvation Army one, we arrived after a major flood in 1964.  That one flooded the camp as well as Denver's South Platte Valley.  We didn't get to use the swimming pool, but my counselor removed a frog from it and dissected it with his pocket knife.  I thought that was neat.  We hiked to a rock formation called Elephant Rock.  The same formation that explorer Stephen H Long mentioned in his log in 1821. 

  Joelene