'Camp' Camp Blog - A Vacation for the LGBTQ Community

camp gives back 2017

August 7, 2017 By Camp Camp 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again: ‘Camp’ Camp is right around the corner. In less than two weeks, 200 LGBT people from across the U.S. (as well as Canada and the U.K.) will all be converging in southwestern Maine to have the best time ever! ‘Camp’ Camp 2017 will mark our 21st season, a fabulously unique best-time-ever week full of summer camp activities, fun evening social events, and smiles & laughter with new friends.

Forty-four of this year’s Campers have been with us for an astounding 10 years or more, including this year’s 15th-Year Campers: Owner/Director Betsy Orr of Portland, ME; Deb Kayman of New York, NY; Jackie Goss of Malden, MA; James Berglund of Oakland, CA; and Paul Mitchell of Atlanta, GA. We will be donating $100 in each of their names to The Trevor Project in honor of their noteworthy Camp anniversary, a tradition we began back in 2011 when we first had Campers celebrating their 15th year at ‘Camp’ Camp.

The following year we established our annual “Camp Gives Back” campaign which recognizes and supports an organization serving the LGBT community through a combination of donations from our Campers & Staff and a pledge of 10% of our Camp Store sales. Past beneficiaries of the campaign include Mainers United for Marriage ($1100 raised in 2012), Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund ($1435 raised in 2013), SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) ($1888 raised in 2014), Camp Aranu’tiq ($1685 raised in 2015), and, last year’s recipient, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) ($1673).

The current political climate here in the U.S. has felt increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ community since last November. However, in nearly 80 countries around the world it is actually a crime to be LGBTQ and our LGBTQ brothers & sisters in these countries face persecution on a daily basis unlike anything those of us here in the U.S. might encounter. In recognition of this sad reality, we have decided to do our small part to support the global LGBT community by choosing Immigration Equality, the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization, as the beneficiary of our 2017 Camp Gives Back campaign.

Immigration Equality works every day to ensure the safety and well-being of our community from countries where just being LGBTQ is a crime, providing advice and legal services to thousands of LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants annually. Fighting to obtain asylum for these LGBTQ and HIV-positive refugees seeking refuge, fair treatment, and freedom here in the United States, they maintain a remarkable 99% win rate for their clients despite an increasing workload each year.

If you are coming to Camp this summer, you can help support Immigration Equality simply by buying an extra Camp t-shirt or souvenir or two (or three) in the Camp Store. You’ll also be able to make additional donations to Immigration Equality via your Cashless ‘Camp’ Camp account.

If you aren’t able to join us this summer, we suggest that you pop over to Immigration Equality’s website and make a donation. (Be sure to note that you were referred by ‘Camp’ Camp.) Please join us in support of our LGBTQ brothers & sisters from around the globe and donate today.

maybe this time: win a free week at camp 2017

July 8, 2017 By Camp Camp 9 Comments

Oh, no! It’s happening again… We did it in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2015 – and now 2017 will prove to be a lucky number for two more first-timer ‘Camp’ Campers! We’re sponsoring another Best Time Ever Giveaway, and two lucky people out there will win a FREE week at ‘Camp’ Camp this August 20-27.

You read that right: two lucky people who have yet to experience America’s premier summer camp for LGBTQ adults will get to attend ‘Camp’ Camp live & in person this August… for FREE!

This offer comes with absolutely no strings or secret catches. Many of our previous Best Time Ever Giveaway winners are still attending Camp, and all of the previous winners returned for at least one more year. Once they discovered for themselves that ‘Camp’ Camp really is the best time ever, they just had to come back for more!

So why not take a chance and enter this year’s Giveaway? You just might get to experience the most distinctive LGBT vacation in the country for yourself …and it will be absolutely & positively FREE!

Here are the Giveaway Rules:

Members of the LGBTQ community age 21 & over who have never been to ‘Camp’ Camp may enter the Giveaway. Those who have attended ‘Camp’ Camp in the past or who have already registered or been accepted as Staff for ‘Camp’ Camp 2017 are not eligible.
‘Camp’ Camp 2017 is August 20-27, so please be sure you are available that week before entering.
The winner will be responsible for their own round-trip transportation to Portland, Maine. The Giveaway only covers your registration fees – a $1675 value – and does not include transportation to & from Maine. Camp will, of course, provide our usual complimentary round-trip transportation between Camp and the Portland International Jetport (PWM) or Portland bus or train stations. If you cannot afford the round-trip transportation to Maine, please do not submit an entry.

To enter, simply send an e-mail to freeweek@campcamp.com with the subject line “Send ME to Camp!” before midnight E.S.T. on Sunday, July 16. Be sure to include your full name, date of birth, and address in the body of the e-mail. Then, on Monday, July 17, we’ll draw two e-mails that we’ve received at random and those two lucky people will get to experience all of ‘Camp’ Camp’s fun & challenging activities, fabulous social events, delicious food – and meet a great community of LGBT people from all over the country. All for free!

That’s all there is to it…

Good luck – and we’ll see two of you in August!

*****

Complete rules & restrictions for ‘Camp’ Camp’s “2017 Best Time Ever Giveaway!” :

The 2017 Best Time Ever Giveaway (the “Giveaway”) is sponsored by ‘Camp’ Camp II, LLC d/b/a ‘Camp’ Camp (“Camp”).
Anyone age 21 & over who identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or genderqueer who are potential first-time Camp attendees are eligible to enter. Those who have attended Camp in any capacity prior to 2017 or who have already registered or been accepted for a Staff position at ‘Camp’ Camp 2017 prior to July 10, 2017 are not eligible.
All entries must be submitted via e-mail to freeweek@campcamp.com before midnight E.S.T. on Sunday, July 16, 2017. The subject line of the e-mail must read “Send ME to Camp!” with the Contestant’s full name, date of birth, and complete address in the body of the e-mail. Incomplete submissions or submissions via other means (Facebook posts or private messages, text messages, etc.) will not be eligible to win.
All contestants understand & agree that the e-mail address used for their Giveaway entry will be added to Camp’s e-mail marketing lists if it is not already a part of said list. (Camp does not sell or distribute their mailing list to third parties.)
Two winning e-mails will be selected at random on Monday, July 17, 2017 and announced on Camp’s Facebook page and via Twitter. The winners of the Giveway (the “Winners”) will also be notified personally via e-mail.
Winners shall each receive a Discount Code good for a waiver of all registration fees for ‘Camp’ Camp 2017, a value of $1675. This Discount Code is not transferable to another individual and is only applicable towards Camp’s 2017 session from August 20-27, 2017.
Winners will be responsible for providing their own round-trip transportation to Portland, Maine, as well as any incidental charges (Camp Store purchases, massages, etc.) incurred during their week at Camp. Camp will provide Winners with round-trip transportation between Camp and Portland International Jetport (PWM) or Portland, Maine bus/train stations.
Winners must agree to all Camp rules & regulations, etc. via submission of a 2017 ‘Camp’ Camp Registration Form available either for download or via electronic submission at campcamp.com/register. Winner must submit their registration form no later than August 1, 2017.
Winners, at their sole discretion & request, may exchange the Giveaway’s original Discount Code prize for a Discount Code good for two (2) half-price registrations for ‘Camp’ Camp 2017 valued at $837.50 each. All Giveaway rules & regulations are applicable to this prize option as well.
The Giveaway is currently scheduled to end on Sunday, July 16, 2017; however, Camp reserves the right to extend the deadline for entries and/or the date of Winner selection.
Questions regarding these rules & restrictions – including eligibility and Winners’ rights or responsibilities – may be submitted via e-mail to info@campcamp.com.

camp gives back 2016

August 6, 2016 By Camp Camp Leave a Comment

Wow! Can you believe it? ‘Camp’ Camp 2016 is less than two weeks away! Very soon, a near sold-out crowd of approximately 240 people from across the U.S., as well as Canada, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and the U.K., will all be converging in southwestern Maine, each & every one ready to have the best time ever! An LGBT vacation like no other, our 20th anniversary season will be a week full of summer camp activities, fun evening social events, and smiles & laughter with new friends. Fifty-seven of this year’s Campers have been with us for an unbelievable 10 years or more, including this year’s 15th-Year Campers: Susan “Clink” C. of Roslindale, MA, Sue E. of Medford, MA, Jon G. of Washington, DC, Gail G. of Silver Spring, MD, and Karl O. of Amenia, NY. We will be donating $100 in each of their names to the It Gets Better Project in honor of their noteworthy Camp anniversary, a tradition we began back in 2011 when we had our first-ever 15th-Year Campers.

Each summer, our “Camp Gives Back” campaign also recognizes and supports an organization that serves the LGBT community via a combination of donations from our Campers & Staff and a pledge of 10% of our Camp Store sales. Past beneficiaries of the campaign include Mainers United for Marriage ($1100 raised in 2012), Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund ($1435 raised in 2013), SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) ($1888 raised in 2014) and, last year’s recipient, Camp Aranu’tiq ($1685).

In recognition of our commitment to welcome, embrace, and support all members of the LGBT community, we are pleased to announce that the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is the beneficiary of this summer’s Camp Gives Back campaign.

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is the nation’s leading social justice organization for transgender equality. NCTE was founded in 2003 by transgender activists who recognized the urgent need for policy and cultural change to advance trans equality. With the support of a nationwide community of transgender people, allies, and advocates, NCTE has an extensive record of advancing life-saving change at the local, state and federal levels. NCTE is also compiling the report from its U.S. Trans Survey where 28,000 trans people were asked about the discrimination they’ve faced. Beyond publicizing these results, NCTE is training trans people to share their story with their community and the media, thereby giving a much-needed voice to the trans community.

If you are attending Camp this summer, you can help support the NCTE by just buying an extra Camp t-shirt or souvenir or two (or three) in the Camp Store. You’ll also be able to make additional donations to the NCTE via your Cashless ‘Camp’ Camp account. If you aren’t able to join us this summer, we suggest that you pop over to the NCTE’s website and make a donation. (Be sure to note that you were referred by ‘Camp’ Camp.) Won’t you join us and make a donation today?

With Campers from across the U.S. plus Canada, Geoff’s 2015 Fuchsia Rainbow Group proves that our Campers are not only geographically diverse and multigenerational, but they also represent the entire spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity. Truly, LGBT! Many of our Campers say it’s one of the things they love the most about ‘Camp’ Camp.

20th anniversary + 33 states = 1 BTE!

July 19, 2016 By Camp Camp Leave a Comment

We are just a month or so away from the start of our 20th Anniversary season of ‘Camp’ Camp, a week when LGBTQ folks from around the country (and the globe) descend on a gorgeous pine-scented plot of land in southwestern Maine to enjoy a one-of-a-kind vacation. Our first-time Campers continuously tell us the thing that surprises them most about Camp is the great people they meet and the good friends they make. And our returning Campers? They say it is the people they meet at Camp that keep them coming back. So, obviously, the people who attend ‘Camp’ Camp play a huge part in making Camp the best time ever!

If that’s true, then this summer’s session of Camp promises to be another fun & fabulous week! With Campers hailing from 33 different states, as well as Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the U.K., the 230 Campers & Staff confirmed to join us as of July 19th call the following cities home:

Amenia, NY
Amherst, MA
Anchorage, AK
Ann Arbor, MI (3)
Apex, NC (2)
Aptos, CA (2)
Arlington, VA (4)
Astoria, NY
Atlanta, GA (2)
Aurora, CO
Bayonne, NJ
Bedford, NH
Belfast, ME
Birdsboro, PA
Brewster, MA
Brick, NJ
Brighton, MA (2)
Bronx, NY
Bronxville, NY
Brookline, NH
Brooklyn, NY (8)
Buda, TX
Calgary, AB
Cambridge, MA (3)
Carrboro, NC
Cary, NC
Central Islip, NY
Charlton, MA
Chelsea, MA
Chicago, IL (3)
Cincinnati, OH (3)
Claremont, NH
Colrain, MA
Columbia, SC
Columbus, OH
Concord, MA
Conshohocken, PA
Cottondale, FL
Cranford, NJ
Cranston, RI (2)
Davenport, FL
Decatur, GA
Del Mar, CA
Dorchester, MA (2)
Dover, NH
Dracut, MA
Durham, NC
East Boston, MA
East Brunswick, NJ
Edison, NJ
Edmonton, AB
Endicott, NY

Everett, WA
Exeter, NH
Florence, MA (2)
Garfield, NJ
Gloucester, MA
Goodyear, AZ
Greensboro, NC (2)
Hamden, CT
Hampton, VA
Harrisburg, PA
Hartland, VT
Harwich, MA
Hebron, KY (2)
Hensonville, NY
Holden, ME (2)
Holland, MI
Hollis, ME
Holyoke, MA
Houston, TX
Howell, MI
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Jackson, MS
Jamaica, NY
Jamaica Plain, MA
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Katy, TX
Key West, FL
Knoxville, MD
Lafayette, IN
Larchmont, NY
Las Vegas, NV
Lawndale, CA
League City, TX
London, UK (3)
Long Beach, CA (2)
Los Angeles, CA (3)
Lowell, MA (4)
Malden, MA (2)
Manchester, NH
Medford, MA (3)
Montclair, NJ
Montreal, QC (2)
Mt. Holly, NJ
Nashville, TN
New Orleans, LA
New York, NY (12)
Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Newtown, PA
Norristown, PA
North Eastham, MA
Norwich, CT
Oakland, CA (2)
Ogdensburg, NY

Orlando, FL (2)
Palm Springs, CA
Pensacola, FL
Philadelphia, PA (2)
Plymouth Meeting, PA
Portland, ME (3)
Providence, RI
Provincetown, MA
Queens, NY
Raleigh, NC (2)
Randolph, MA
Raynham, MA
Remsen, NY
Rio Rancho, NM
Roslindale, MA (2)
Salem, MA
San Francisco, CA
San Leandro, CA
San Marcos, TX
Santa Monica, CA
Scarborough, ME
Scituate, MA
Seattle, WA
Silver Spring, MD
Slaughter, LA (2)
South Portland, ME
Spring, TX
St. Petersburg, FL
Stone Mountain, GA
Stuart, FL
Sunnyside, NY (2)
Tacoma, WA
Tampa, FL
Topsham, ME (2)
Toronto, ON (2)
Tucson, AZ
Union City, NJ
Utica, NY
Valley Village, CA
Virginia Beach, VA
Wallingford, CT
Washington, DC (3)
Watertown, MA (2)
Wellington, FL
West Hartford, CT
West Roxbury, MA (2)
Wilbraham, MA
Williamstown, PA
Windham, ME
Woodland Hills, CA
Yonkers, NY (2)
Ypsilanti, MI (7)

Libby’s 2015 Royal Blue Rainbow Group hailed from Washington, North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Virginia, Nevada, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Canada.

If your hometown isn’t represented, why not change that by registering today? We still have a few spots available, so join us and see for yourself why, 20 years since we first began, our Campers continue to say ‘Camp’ Camp is the best time ever!

the brittany james memorial campership

May 31, 2016 By Camp Camp 1 Comment

Late last year, we posted about the unexpected and untimely passing of Brittany James, one of our Campers from 2013. Brittany was only able to join us for that one summer, but she loved Camp and her spirit inspired us all as we watched her blossom during her week at ‘Camp’ Camp.

Applications are now being accepted for the special memorial Campership Fund that was established in Brittany’s name soon after she passed. One lucky transgender individual will be granted the 2016 Brittany James Memorial Campership Fund allowing them to experience ‘Camp’ Camp 2016 for themselves at a discounted rate of only $525.

Any transgender individual aged 21 or over who has not previously attended ‘Camp’ Camp is eligible to apply. The Campership covers the first $1200 of your registration fees, but you must be able to cover the remaining $525 as well as your transportation to/from Maine. (We do provide free round-trip transportation from Portland, Maine, so just get yourself to Portland airport – or bus or train station – and we will get you out to Camp.)

To apply, simply email us no later than June 15, 2016 at directors@campcamp.com with your name, age, and hometown, along with a short bio and a few sentences about why you’d like to attend ‘Camp’ Camp. We will review the applications and announce the recipient sometime the week of June 20.