Camp Aurora helps LGBTT youth shine
KSENIA PRINTS, CUP CENTRAL BUREAU CHIEF
WINNIPEG (CUP) — “I screamed like a little girl,” said one camper, after nearly falling off a section in the ropes course. “Here, you can scream like any gender you want to,” said Aurora camp director Jonny Sopotiuk.
Hidden among towering trees and expansive wheat fields, Camp Manitou is a five-minute drive from Winnipeg,. lays Camp Manitou. But between Aug. 27-30, under the Camp Aurora banner, the regular batch of screaming youngsters campers was replaced with motivated youth aged 13 to 21 who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, two-spirit, allied or any other label under the sun.
With at least three such camps now dotting the country — the two others are Camp fYrefly in Edmonton and Camp Ten Oaks in Ottawa — Aurora’’s directors and participants are calling for more LGBTT camps to be established throughout Canada. “It’’s a week away for youth to come to a completely supportive and open environment,” said Sopotiuk.
The donation-funded camp brought in 29 participants from all walks of life, and was made possible thanks to organizations lifunded by donations from theke Rainbow Resource Centre, a provincial LGBTT group, the Winnipeg Foundation, and even some provincial MLAs.
The majority of campers came from Winnipeg, but others drove in from more rural areas of Manitoba. It costs Aurora approximately $250 per camper to operate. That number is offset minimally by the $25 registration fee that all campers pay. For campers in need, though, Aurora even covers their travel expenses. Despite the heavy subsidies for campers, there is little out-of-province representation. One youth camper hailed from Malaysia, and another from Nigeria, but they paid for their own trips.
All of the camp’s activities are designed to develop self-esteem, decision-making abilities, teamwork and leadership skills. The ultimate goal is to prepare them to return empowered empower campers to their respective communities.
Some campers participate in reiki training, in which participants learn how to use their body energy to heal. Other campers are noticeably uncomfortable in the first moments of body-centric, the belly dancing workshop. But as they gradually loosen up, their movements become more fluid and smiles begin to appear. At the low ropes course campers climb, crawl and hang on for dear life to avoid meeting the wet ground. Not everyone completes the challenge. “You do what you’’re comfortable with and you’’re not forced to do anything you’’re not comfortable with,” Sopotiuk said.
The camp arose from need. LGBTT youth all over Canada experience homophobia and have difficulties coming to terms with their identities. Other summer camps, while a retreat for most, were a nightmare for some Aurora participants, who faced homophobia and the difficulty of coming to terms with their identities. The organizers of Camp fYrefly in Edmonton came up with the idea to adapt regular camps to the needs of LGBTT and allied youths with non-traditional sexuality.
“There are not too many places we can go to in general community for support,” Sopotiuk said. “Camp fYrefly was life changing; we thought it could be the same here.”
The camp’’s participants are grateful for the experience, and would like to see similar camps form all over the country.
“It was an unforgettable experience,” said Scott Childe, 20. “It showed me the true diversity of the queer community, and I am now a lot more open and accepting . . . towards everyone and their experiences.” Childe adds that he will continue endorsing this acceptance in his community back home. “In my workplace, I’’ll be pushing for more queer rights,” he said.
Sopotiuk understands that spreading LGBTT camps all over Canada may not be easy. Most of the difficulties, he said, lie in fundraising.
Reaching potential campers was also difficult. But fFacebook.com, the popular social networking website, proved to be a valuable resource to get in touch with participants.
The approval of the general public was not a concern. “This camp is about the youth who are here, regardless of what people think,” said Sopotiuk.
He believes it is important to overlook the differences and encourage other provinces to import the camp. “A year ago we thought this was impossible, [but] all of the volunteers are growing as much, if not more, than the campers here,” he said. More than 70 people helped organize this year’’s Aurora camp.
