Update to COVID Protocols
Starting at TGNC camp and going forward, Queer Campout will require all campers to take a provided COVID test upon arrival at the campgrounds. We still encourage campers to test 48 hours prior to packing and heading to the site, as multiple sequential testing drastically reduces the chances of false negative results and the likelihood of having to turn back home. Wearing a well-fitted respirator such as an N95 in shared spaces in the weeks leading up to, and during camp will also reduce the risk of infectious disease. Being well-acquainted with your body and self-screening for changes and unexplained symptoms is an act of self care that you can practice before any gathering. Every layer of protection is an act of love for your community!
Update to Service Animal Protocols
As always, trained service animals are welcome at camp (emotional support pets do not qualify). Please ensure you provide your Service Animal’s information on your registration form, as anyone with an animal not declared a service animal on their registration will be asked to take their pet elsewhere for the duration of camp. Please email us at queercampoutnm@gmail.com if you would like assistance finding pet care during camp, and we will do our best to help.
Update to ASL Interpretation Offerings
Queer Campout has committed to offering ASL interpretation at the Spring and Fall Camps (Usually May and September), the Pre-Camp Meet and Greet Potlucks, and official QCO inter-camp events. We are scheduling this service prior to registration/RSVPs to ensure coverage, hopefully giving our deaf and hard of hearing friends the ability to attend and enjoy events with minimal required advance communication. Of course, we still welcome any questions or concerns you have about your accessibility needs. We prioritize hiring queer interpreters when possible.
This is a significant financial commitment for our organization, and if you would like to contribute your time/services as an interpreter or have the means to support this commitment financially, please let us know!
Scent-Conscious Offerings
We are updating our FAQ’s and will have something more robust on scents and fragrances soon. So stay tuned! For now, please know that in order to reduce scent exposure for campers who are chemically sensitive, QCO will be providing these fragrance-free products for campwide use:
- Hand soap
- Hand sanitizer
- Body Moisturizer
- Sun Screen
- Bug Spray
Who can come to TGNC camp?
Q: Can trans and gender non-conforming parents bring their children (under 18), regardless of gender identity?
A: Yes. We acknowledge that finding childcare can be a barrier to camping, and also want young folks to experience queer community in nature. We ask that parents be mindful that Queer Camp Out is a body-positive space, and they can expect to see some nudity. If you have young people in your group, please be sure they know what to expect and are comfortable with it. Read more about camping with children and young people here!
Q: Can cisgender parents of transgender or gender non-conforming young adults (18+) attend camp?
A: No. Queer Campout’s Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Camp are intended as a space exclusively centering folks with those identities. Folks who do not share these identities are not a good fit for camp.
Our organizing team works hard to accommodate the needs of our community, and we are open to discussing accommodations that ensure as many folks as possible are able to participate in Camp. Please feel free to reach out to us at queercampoutnm@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.
Q: What is trans-misogyny? Who is considered trans-misogyny affected (TMA)?
A: Is trans-misogyny new to your vocabulary? Queer culture is constantly evolving, and language will also shift to better describe our lived experiences- this term was new to some of us too. Julia Serano coined this term and explores the concept in her book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity.
Trans-misogyny Affected folks are all folks affected by trans-misogyny. They may or may not identify as trans women/femmes or any other specific identity.
Serano defines trans-misogyny as “Sexism that specifically targets those on the trans female/trans feminine spectrums. It arises out of a synergetic interaction between oppositional and traditional sexism. It accounts for why MTF spectrum trans people tend to be more regularly demonized and ridiculed than their FTM spectrum counterparts, and why trans women face certain forms of sexualization and misogyny that are rarely (if ever) applied to non-trans women.”
You can read more in the author’s own words here!
Q: Why is there no priority registration for this camp?
A: At prior camps we have opened registration early for Disabled, BIPOC and TMA folks. Of course, we still encourage these communities to register and register early, so we can continue to work with you to ensure camp is welcoming and representative of our diverse community. Since we expect the Trans/Gender Non-Confirming camp to be a smaller camp, we are not concerned we will run out of space. The organizing team has decided to open registration for everyone early so that we have as much time as possible to coordinate activities and volunteer roles, hopefully resulting in a greater ability to communicate needs and schedules early as well as arrange accommodations in advance. We plan to have tiered registration again for the All-Queers Camp in September.
In keeping with our commitment to consider folks with intersecting identities we also assembled and are working with an advisory board of disabled and BIPOC Trans/GNC folks who are providing insight into making camp better throughout the organizing process.
Q: Is TGNC camp a kink/sex positive space?
A: Yes! If you would like to host or facilitate a kink/play event at camp, please let us know! In keeping with our commitment to consent and in consideration that folks under the age of 18 may be in attendance, all sexual and overt kink activities take place in individual campers’ tents or dedicated kink spaces that are visually secluded.
Q: When will the Trans + Gender Non-Conforming camp be held?
A: Camp will be held on Friday, May 15th to Monday, May 18th. You will receive full details via email after you register. We strongly recommend arriving before 6pm on the day you choose, as the sun will set around 8pm.
Q: When does camp registration open?
A: Registration opens April 6. We strongly encourage folks with disabilities or questions about accommodations to register early to allow more time for organizers to make arrangements as needed.
Please peruse our general camp FAQ here!
And as always, please reach out to queercampoutnm@gmail.com if you have questions that aren’t answered in these pages.
