The Spring 2025 Campout will take place Friday, May 30th through Monday, June 2nd in Jemez. It’s been over a year since we’ve had an All-Queers Camp, and we can’t wait to come together!
Please see the info below and review the QCO Values & Community Participation Guidelines so you’re prepared to co-create our time together.
We’re continuing our tiered registration process. Emails are sent out at the start of each registration section and the link is below.
Spring 2025 Queer Campout Registration Timeline:
- April 21: Registration opens for BIPOC*, transfeminine folks, those affected by transmisogyny, and disabled** queers
- May 5: General registration opens—all queers can register!
- May 23: Registration closes (will close earlier if we reach capacity before this date)
- May 30 to June 2: Campout weekend
*We define BIPOC as people who have been racialized as ‘ethnic minorities’, including but not limited to Native/Indigenous, Black, Brown, Asian, Pacific Islander, Indian, Middle-Eastern, and/or multi-ethnicity/mixed-race folks. Rather than gatekeeping, we are relying on community members to self-assess which spaces are for them.
**Disabled: those excluded from aspects society due to lack of accessibility (read: social model of disability) and/or those with physical, cognitive, psychiatric, sensorial, and undiagnosed conditions necessitating accommodation, including those who do and do not self-identify as disabled; identity-first language intentional
Families
Kiddos are an important part of the community and including them is in line with QCO’s Values. Ideally, someone coordinates all things family-related for QCO (activities, youth supervision, and meeting family’s needs). If this is a role you’re interested in taking on, please email us at hello@qcampout.com or let us know in your registration.
QCO is a body-positive space, which means that attendees can expect some nudity. Families should ensure their young people are prepared for and comfortable with this. (Kink and play activities will take place in designated 18+ areas.)
Furry Friends
Trained service animals who will be working while at camp are welcome, but please leave ESAs and pets at home.
We’ve heard from campers that finding reliable and affordable pet care is a big barrier to joining camps located far from home. We hope to connect campers who need pet care with people who are able to offer it to meet this need where possible. If you can provide this support, please email us at hello@qcampout.com. If you would like to receive this support, let us know in your registration.
Volunteering
In the spirit of co-creation, everyone who attends Campout should plan to volunteer for at least one shift. Campers can sign up for role(s) before camp or at camp:
- Before camp → We’re recruiting for roles that require varying levels of commitment. From Helpers to Team Leaders, we are looking for campers to join the following teams and prepare together before camp starts: Camp Greeters, Care Bears, Disability and Access Resource Team (DART), Camp Setup & Teardown Crew, & the Medic Team.
Our Volunteer Picnic will be held in northeast Albuquerque from 11am-1pm Saturday, May 24th! We encourage all campers and organizers to attend.
If you’re interested in taking on one or more of these roles, please contact us or let us know when you register. Our Volunteer Coordinator will reach out to you directly.
- At camp → At check-in, campers can sign up for shifts on crews that don’t require commitment before camp such as Camp Upkeep Crew, Campfire Crew and Answer Keepers. Folks are also encouraged to help out with empty shifts throughout camp if they can.
We make QCO happen together! Learn more about Volunteer roles and what they entail.
Activities
Campers have hosted all sorts of fun games and activities at QCO, from kink workshops and play parties to dance parties, talking circles, campfire karaoke, and topless watermelon eating. If you are interested in hosting an activity, please let us know on the registration form and the Activities & Engagement team will reach out directly to help coordinate. In planning an activity, please consider requirements for participation such as mobility, allergies, sensory stimuli, and language interpretation so that campers can make informed decisions about where to direct their energy. If your activity would benefit from ASL interpretation, we ask that you write up a rough summary or script and email it to us by May 27th so that we can forward it to our interpreters ahead of time.
Poetry Circle
Send your favorite poems to hello@qcampout.org so we can share them in a signing and reading circle!
Nature Walk
Nature knows no binary! Get to know your non-human neighbors!
COVID-19
COVID-19 continues to present a very real and serious risk to many people, including members of our community. Queer Campout is an anti-oppressive space committed to inclusivity and accessibility, which means practicing community care through continuing to take COVID-19 precautions although they were lifted across the country and much of the world. Please plan to take at least one COVID test before traveling up to Jemez (sequential tests 48 hours apart have the best rate of catching false negatives!), and make sure to have a well-fitting mask such as an N95 with you at all times.
Although much of our time will be outdoors and well-ventilated, we are grateful for any additional actions you take to protect our beloved community!
Read more about QCO’s COVID-19 Precautions.
Accessibility
QCO was–and is continually–created to offer an opportunity for those with less access to nature/camping to enjoy the outdoors in safe, inclusive community. This means prioritizing accessibility for disabled** campers. In addition to using campsites with ADA-compliant features, the QCO Disability and Accessibility Resource Team (DART) is prepared to collaboratively develop accommodations for those with a range of disabilities and accessibility needs.
Learn more about QCO accessibility. If you have questions, please email us at hello@qcampout.com. If you have access needs, let us know in your registration and DART will be in contact with you.
**Disabled: those excluded from aspects society due to lack of accessibility (read: social model of disability) and/or those with physical, cognitive, psychiatric, sensorial, and undiagnosed conditions necessitating accommodation, including those who do and do not self-identify as disabled; identity-first language intentional
RVs & Campers
Space for RVs and campers is limited at the campgrounds. We ask that only those who need to use RVs and campers do so and that all others plan to car camp or use a tent. The QCO Disability and Accessibility Resource Team (DART) will reach out to those who note in their registration that they hope to use an RV/camper to make appropriate arrangements.
Donations
This year, we will collect donations via Venmo and Givebutter prior to and at camp. We ask that all campers who are able to make a contribution to help cover the costs of the campground rental and supplies needed for the weekend. We suggest a sliding scale of $10-25 per camper.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the weekend regardless of their ability to contribute financially.
We’re so excited to be in the woods with you so soon!
P.S. If you have IG, follow us! And, if you have any questions or feedback, please email the Organizing Team at hello@qcampout.org ♥️