meet some campers

‘Camp’ Campers are a diverse crowd of lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender folks from all over the world. While most of them hail from the U.S., over the past 20 years we’ve enjoyed hosting LGBTQ folks from such places as Canada, the U.K., Australia, Mexico, and Germany as well. Our Campers come from all walks of life and in all shapes, sizes, and ages. So don’t worry… you’ll fit right in!

As an introduction to some of the fun people you’ll meet when you join us at ‘Camp’ Camp, here are some random personal facts, Camp trivia, and pop-culture tidbits from some of our Campers. (New profiles are added periodically, so check back again!)

The Bishops: Bonnie & Linda

• How/where did you meet?  Introduced at work on Bonnie’s first day at L Brands by a director, December 4, 2000
• First date  September 20, 2001 – dinner at Union Station, a gay restaurant/bar in Columbus, OH. … Linda: “I’m not even sure that evening started out as a date, but once I kissed her the rest is history. Only interesting because I had never been with a woman. The day I met Bonnie at work there was an instant connection/chemistry, and we both felt it. I was totally smitten, it just took [nine months] for anything to happen since she thought I was straight. There is my coming-out story.”
• Years together  16
• Kids/grandkids  2 kids – Christopher, 39 & Joy, 37; 2 grandsons – Cameron, 19 & Cooper, 9

Bonnie Bishop

• Full given name  Bonnie Jean Bishop
• Nickname  B., Bon Bon
• Hometown  Cincinnati, OH
• Current hometown  Cincinnati, OH
• Zodiac sign  Virgo
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2015
• Number of years at Camp so far  4 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Trina Cook
• Favorite Solo Camp Activity  Volleyball
• Favorite Couple Camp Activity  Dancing
• Most surprising thing about Camp  More fun than I anticipated
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  Misadventure with a sailboat
• Mac or PC?  PC
• Most played song on your iPod  “Seasons of Love” from Rent
• One album you couldn’t live without  Original Broadway Cast Recording, Something’s Rotten
• Last movie you saw  The Post
• Last book you read  The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
• Must-see TV show  Grace & Frankie
• Favorite reality show  None
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Third of four
• First same-sex kiss  Julie in high school
• Big celebrity crush  Johnny Dep, Jennifer Lopez
• Cats or dogs?  Dogs
• Favorite pizza topping  Cheese

Linda Bishop

• Full given name  Linda Joy Anthony
• Nickname  Poopsie, Lin or Linny
• Hometown  Columbus, OH
• Current hometown  Cincinnati, OH
• Zodiac sign  Scorpio
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2015
• Number of years at Camp so far  4 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Susan Clinkenbeard
• Favorite Solo Camp Activity  Jewelry
• Favorite Couple Camp Activity  Dancing
• Most surprising thing about Camp  The camaraderie and family feeling
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  Luckily I haven’t had one yet.
• Mac or PC?  PC
• Most played song on your iPod  Keith Urban, “The Fighter”
• One album you couldn’t live without  The Very Best of Chris Botti
• Last movie you saw  The Post
• Last book you read  The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Must-see TV show  Madam Secretary
• Favorite reality show  None
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Oldest
• First same-sex kiss  Bonnie on our first real date
• Big celebrity crush  Jason Momoa, Jennifer Lopez
• Cats or dogs?  Dogs
• Favorite pizza topping  Veggies

Nicole Gray

• Full given name  Nicole Ashanté Gray
• Nickname  Nick, Nikki, Mango
• Hometown  Monterey, CA
• Current hometown  Oakland, CA
• Zodiac sign  Gemini
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2017
• Number of years at Camp so far  1
• First Rainbow Group Leader  David Puterbaugh
• Favorite Camp Activity  Lip-Sync Throwdown!
• Most surprising thing about Camp  How everyone treats each other like family.
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  When my cabin mates caught me fantasizing about my camp crush.
• Mac or PC?  PC
• Most played song on your iPod  Frankie Smith, “Double Dutch Bus”
• One album you couldn’t live without  Simon & Garfunkel, The Concert in Central Park
• Last movie you saw  It  (2017)
• Last book you read  Backpacking California by Wilderness Press 
• Must-see TV show  Law & Order: SVU or Xena: Warrior Princess
• Favorite reality show  Masterchef
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Only
• First same-sex kiss  Marie S., 14 years old at Girl Scout Camp
• Big celebrity crush  Tyne Daly, Audra McDonald, Tracie Thomas
• Cats or dogs?  Both
• Favorite pizza topping  Spinach and tomato

Cameron Dunn

• Full given name  Cameron Christopher Dunn
• Nickname  Cam   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Hometown  Massillon, OH
• Current hometown  Brooklyn, NY
• Zodiac sign  Taurus …but I don’t think the arrangement of the stars has any effect on my personality. Go ahead, FIGHT ME!
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camp Store Assistant & Social Media Assistant
• First year at Camp  2017
• Number of years at Camp so far  2 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Scott Tyson
• Favorite Camp Activity  Beyond general quality time well spent, watching the Lip-Sync Throwdown! was a spiritual experience.
• Most surprising thing about Camp  The space made for each person to meet each other person as they are. 
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  Forgetting words to my favorite song in the spotlight of the Talent/No Talent Show stage!
• Mac or PC?  Mac
• Most played song on your iPod  Luanne la Havas, “Don’t Wake Me Up”
• One album you couldn’t live without  Perfume Genius, No Shape
• Last movie you saw  Wonder Woman
• Last book you read  Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques
• Must-see TV show  Pushing Daisies
• Favorite reality show  RuPaul’s Drag Race; So You Think You Can Dance
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Oldest
• First same-sex kiss  David DeWitt, freshman year of college, Spider-Man style.
• Big celebrity crush  Eddie Redmayne
• Cats or dogs?  Cats
• Favorite pizza topping  Sauce. (Hah)

Karen Findlay

• Full given name  Karen Marie Findlay
• Nickname  Figgy
• Hometown  Huntington Beach, CA
• Current hometown  Long Beach, CA
• Zodiac sign  Gemini
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2008
• Number of years at Camp so far  10
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Char Priolo
• Favorite Camp Activity  Barn Dance and Tea Dance
• Most surprising thing about Camp  How it gets better every year!
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  I’ll have to think about that one…
• Mac or PC?  PC, but I love my iPad
• Most played song on your iPod  Peter Gabriel, “In Your Eyes”
• One album you couldn’t live without  Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine
• Last movie you saw  Ghost in the Shell
• Last book you read  A Little Life by Tanya Yanagihara
• Must-see TV show  Saturday Night Live, Portlandia
• Favorite reality show  The Real Housewives of Orange County
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Youngest
• First same-sex kiss  Krista J., 1999
• Big celebrity crush  Rooney Mara (as Lisabeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
• Cats or dogs?  Cats… I have 5.
• Favorite pizza topping  Sausage and red onion

Michael George

• Full given name  Michael David George
• Nickname  MG, MiGeo, Trailer Swift
• Hometown  Fort Myers, FL
• Current hometown  Brooklyn, NY
• Zodiac sign  Scorpio
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2014
• Number of years at Camp so far  5 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Jude Russell
• Favorite Camp Activity  Dressing up with the girls of RuPaul and getting F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. Also, listening to the beautiful loons at night.
• Most surprising thing about Camp  How it gets better and better every single year, and how incredible it is to feel like I have a massive extended family.
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  When I decided to sing Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” at Karaoke Lounge, forgetting that it is basically a ten-minute song.
• Mac or PC?  Mac
• Most played song on your iPod  Carly Rae Jepsen, “Warm Blood” (Yas, mama)
• One album you couldn’t live without  Carly Rae Jepsen, Emotion
• Last movie you saw  Take Shelter
• Last book you read  The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton
• Must-see TV show  The Leftovers
• Favorite reality show  RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Only/oldest/middle child?  I am the baby
• First same-sex kiss  Michael B., sophomore year of college
• Big celebrity crush  Ewan McGregor
• Cats or dogs?  Dogs with a sprinkling of cats
• Favorite pizza topping  Pepperoni!

Pattie Austin

• Full given name  Patricia Ann Austin
• Nickname  Pattie, Pattie Ann
• Hometown  Kalamazoo, MI via Lancaster, KY
• Current hometown  Columbus, OH
• Zodiac sign  Taurus
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Camper
• First year at Camp  2016
• Number of years at Camp so far  2
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Steve Bedenbaugh
• Favorite Camp Activity  Theatre: Spoken Wordshop and Cooking Classes
• Most surprising thing about Camp  The immediate sense of safety and camaraderie.
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  Not knowing one sing Broadway musical or pop culture reference I heard at Camp.
• Mac or PC?  What’s a Mac?
• Most played song on your iPod  Whatever it is, it’s by Marshall Crenshaw
• One album you couldn’t live without  Bill Evans, Live at the Montreaux Jazz Festival
• Last movie you saw  The Peanuts Movie
• Last book you read  It’s Good to Be Gronk by Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski  (No, I’m not proud of that. LOL)
• Must-see TV show  Good Eats; @midnight
• Favorite reality show  Madison Bumgarner’s next start
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Youngest of three
• First same-sex kiss  Came to the party late, so maybe someday
• Big celebrity crush  Ashley Graham, Chanel Iman, Rose Bertram, Marcella Arguello, Noah Syndergaard, Justin Trudeau (Yes, I am aware the last 2 are dudes, but when you are that DREAMY, it’s all good.)
• Cats or dogs?  Every day I look into the adorable face of my Boston Terror and say, “Damn, I wish you were a cat.”
• Favorite pizza topping  Pineapple

Adam Hyman

• Full given name  Adam Lowell Hyman
• Nickname  Adam, Loosiana
• Hometown  Bossier City, LA
• Current hometown  Lafayette, LA
• Zodiac sign  Libra
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Asst. Risk Manager & Bartender
• First year at Camp  2016
• Number of years at Camp so far  1
• First Rainbow Group Leader  David Alfon
• Favorite Camp Activity  The Smoker’s Table (where all the cool kids hang out), Tea Dance, Jewelry Making, Ropes Course, Dinner
• Most surprising thing about Camp  How friendly, open and welcoming everyone is!
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  I have no shame…
• Mac or PC?  PC
• Most played song on your iPod  Muse, “Uprising” (right now)
• One album you couldn’t live without  Queen, Greatest Hits
• Last movie you saw  Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (on DVD); Suicide Squad (in the theater)
• Last book you read  Wraeththu by Storm Constantine
• Must-see TV show  Game of Thrones; American Horror Story
• Favorite reality show  None of the Above
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Oldest
• First same-sex kiss  Brian K., 5th Grade
• Big celebrity crush  Chris Pratt
• Cats or dogs?  Both!!
• Favorite pizza topping  All pizza should be treated equally with the same love and respect!

Jen VanLandingham

• Full given name  Jennifer Louise VanLandingham
• Nickname  Jen, JVL
• Hometown  Covington, KY
• Current hometown  Cincinnati, OH
• Zodiac sign  Aquarius on the Pieces Cusp
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Maintenance & Logistics Team
• First year at Camp  2013
• Number of years at Camp so far  5 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Alysia Lee
• Favorite Camp Activity  Oh my gosh! How do I pick just one? Barn Dance… Tea Dance… all things DANCE!
• Most surprising thing about Camp  The sense of community/family: how I can go one year not seeing my Camp family, and, when we all come back together again, nothing is lost.
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  I’m not easily embarrassed. Go ahead, try me.
• Mac or PC?  Mac
• Most played song on your iPod  One Republic, “I Lived”
• One album you couldn’t live without  U2, The Joshua Tree
• Last movie you saw  Joy
• Last book you read  Wool by Hugh Howey
• Must-see TV show  The Walking Dead
• Favorite reality show  The Amazing Race
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Youngest
• First same-sex kiss  Camille C., when I was in college
• Big celebrity crush  Natalie Portman
• Cats or dogs?  Ferrets
• Favorite pizza topping  Veggies! Lots and lots of veggies!

Mark Cameron

• Full given name  Mark Cameron
• Nickname  Princess
• Hometown  Newark, DE
• Current hometown  Atlanta, GA
• Zodiac sign  Pisces
• ‘Camp’ Camp role  Beauty Parlor Manager
• First year at Camp  2001
• Number of years at Camp so far  18 (including 2018)
• First Rainbow Group Leader  Ed Darrow
• Favorite Camp Activity  Helping Campers put together outfits for Tea Dance; Tea Dance, Talent/No Talent Show, Barn Dance, all of the Evening Social Events
• Most surprising thing about Camp  If I need to, I can call up 250+ Campers at almost anytime and have them kick someone’s ass for me.
• Most embarrassing Camp moment  My “singing” during Karaoke Lounge ,but I do it anyway!
• Mac or PC?  PC
• Most played song on your iPod  I don’t have an iPod
• One album you couldn’t live without  Ummm… All of them. It is too much of a Sophie’s Choice to live with one but not all!
• Last movie you saw  Deadpool; The Big Short; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (I had a lot of time to kill that day.)
• Last book you read  Fool by Christopher Moore
• Must-see TV show  RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Favorite reality show  Dancing With The Stars
• Only/oldest/middle child?  Youngest
• First same-sex kiss  Christopher J. when I was 15
• Big celebrity crush  Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Thomas Jane, Ryan Kwanten, Jon Manganiello, Sam Rockwell (Christopher Reeve was the first, though.)
• Cats or dogs?  Cats
• Favorite pizza topping  Mushroom, garlic & cheese