a boys' camp to redefine gender

I saw this on tumblr and thought it was really amazing. It's a 4 day camp for gender non-conforming boys, and provides them with a safe space to be themselves and meet other young boys like them. Family members go to, and it's basically a love fest for acceptance and encouragement.

This is what the tumblr post said. The only thing that was written that bothers me is "it is unknown if the kids at the camp will eventually identify as gay or transgender." I feel the entire purpose of the camp is to avoid stereotyping and encourage the boys to explore their own identity without labels, and the writer of this piece basically just said that any boy who identifies with anything in "the pink aisle" will turn out to be gay or transgender, which is a total stereotype in itself! It's totally fine to be gay, straight, trans, lesbian, questioning, etc, but it's not fair to characterize the personas of people who identify with  a certain sexuality. Some people don't even conform to a gender of sexuality. I also didn't like how she refers to boys' products at K-Mart as the "nasty dark boys' aisle," because if a boy like lego and action figures, that's just as acceptable as if a boy likes dolls and high heels.

But other than that I had no complaints and thought this was one of the best things I had heard about since sliced bread. I really hope you read it, it will make you happy.


A Boys’ Camp to Redefine Gender

Over the past three years, photographer Lindsay Morris has been documenting a four-day camp for gender nonconforming boys and their parents.

The camp, “You Are You” (the name has been changed to protect the privacy of the children and is also the name of Morris’ series), is for “Parents who don’t have a gender-confirming 3-year-old who wants to wear high heels and prefers to go down the pink aisle in K-Mart and not that nasty dark boys’ aisle,” Morris said with a laugh.

It is also a place for both parents and children to feel protected in an environment that encourages free expression.

“[The kids] don’t have to look over their shoulders, and they can let down their guard. Those are four days when none of that matters, and they are surrounded by family members who support them,” Morris said.

Morris has stated that her photographic goal for the project is “to represent the spirit of these boys as they shine.” Some of the ways in which the kids shine is through the talent and fashion shows at camp that are popular and for which the campers come well-prepared.

“Some practice for the talent show all year, and others create their own gowns with their mothers or friends of the family,” Morris said. “The focus and enthusiasm is really pretty incredible. Also, it can be very emotional for the parents, especially the families who are new to camp and are experiencing this kind of group acceptance for the very first time.”

Although it is unknown if the kids at the camp will eventually identify as gay or transgender—or even if the way gender and sexuality are defined throughout society will evolve—the camp allows the kids to look at themselves in a completely different way.

“They get enough questioning in their daily lives, so it’s a great place for them to express themselves as they feel. … I feel we hear so many of the sad stories and how LGBT kids are disproportionately affected by bullying, depression, and suicide, and it hangs a heavy cloud over them and kind of dooms them from the beginning. I’m saying this is a new story. This is not a tragedy.” The children featured here and in Morris’ project are photographed with the permission of their parents. Her ultimate goal is to start a foundation that raises money to help underwrite the cost of camp for kids unable to attend. 

“I would really love to follow the kids into adulthood and see what kind of relationships they develop,” Morris said. “I want to witness the evolution, knowing from where they started and see how life is going to play out for them—hopefully happily—and I think they’re going to have a better transition into adulthood than the generation proceeding them.”