We keep telling you you’re going to have an amazing time if you come to A-Camp, and it’s true, but hey, don’t take our words for it! We asked 12 awesome queer humans who have attended all three A-Camps and are signed up for October to tell us why they keep coming back, and what it means to them. Read their words, swoon over their faces, then register to come join us on the mountain – hurry, because we only have a few spots left and we want you there!
Jen
Jen, Mitch, Katie & Anne Marie at the A-Camp May 2013 dance
“I keep coming back because A-Camp is a place I can escape to twice a year; this magical utopia on top of a mountain where I feel validated, beautiful, accepted, and unconditionally loved. There is nothing else in the world like that.”
Saskia
Saskia (in the checkered shirt & bow-tie) with P.J, Mareika & Mary at the dance, A-Camp May 2013
“You should come to camp because it is like coming home. There is something really wonderful and validating about being in a super accepting queer bubble for a couple of days… it’s a pretty magical experience.”
Lindsey
Lindsey at A-Camp September 2012
“Come to camp if you have ever imagined a magical word in which intelligent, respectful queer folks of all kinds come together to talk about tough issues, support one another and party their faces off.”
Angeline
Angeline with her Forever Counselor Rachel, A-Camp April 2012
“There is nowhere else in the world like A-Camp. Magical really is the only way to describe it. It’s a place where you can just be you, and there are no judgments about that from anyone. Every queer person should have the opportunity to experience A-Camp, even just once, in their lifetime.”
Alice
Alice enjoys a beverage
“Going to A-Camp is like breathing when you didn’t realize you were holding your breath the whole time. At its most basic it is a sweet relief from being the other in most of your other non-camp contexts. Not to imply that there is some sort of homogeneity of people or experiences at A-Camp, but your queerness doesn’t have to be the focus of anything unless you want it to be. You can be your weirdo self and find other weirdos like you. It’s that sense of camaraderie that brings me back. Combine this with all the activities, crafts, games, and panels it’s a wonderful blend of the social, the intellectual, and lighthearted frivolity!”
Katie M.
Katie M. with Jen & Sam, A-Camp September 2012
“There’s a place for everyone at A-Camp – whether you’re living somewhere secluded or already part of a vast queer community. You’ll experience incredibly thought-provoking panels, never-ending dance parties and lasting friendships.”
Brianna
Brianna holding court, photo by Katie O’Donnell
“You should come to camp because you want to, and you should want to come to camp because there’s no better place. Come especially if it sounds like it would be out of your comfort zone.”
Emily
Emily riding the shoulders of another Emily at the A-Camp September 2013 dance
“It’s been monumental, the self growth I’ve accomplished at and in between each camp. It’s a great measurement of time when I think back. Unplugging and leaving all your daily normals and routines behind for a few days really allows you to dip into your deeper self; it’s powerful shit. I also think there’s wild potential for camp as this hub of activists, professionals of all trades, and generally brilliant minds. It’s a super network of power-Queers and we can make just about anything happen. I can’t tell anyone what camp will be for them because it’ll be your experience not mine. Come and get your camp.”
Kristen
Kristen reading in the woods
“There is no other place like A-Camp — it’s an incredible community and the safest, most positive, most supportive space I’ve been in.”
Mary
Nate, Mary and Saskia before Dapper Hour, A-Camp May 2013
“I keep coming back to camp because I wish I didn’t ever have to leave. Camp keeps getting better and I don’t want to miss any of it. And I think I get better too, and grow a little at each camp.”
Tory
Tory with Autostraddle’s Gabby at A-Camp April 2012
“The whole experience is like a giant hug. It’s safe, loving, friendly, and needed. Every time I go I come back feeling more like myself. It is a tangible representation of the truth in the aphorism that you are not alone.”
Katie E.
Katie and The Toros, A-Camp May 2013
“My life since attending my first A-Camp has gotten so much better and I know that a large part of it is thanks to the friendships I made at A-Camp as well as the pathway to self-discovery that the different panels that A-Camp helped to create in my life.”
Wanna meet these amazing humans and so many more? Of course you do.
Sign Up Now!*
*Also, if you’re low on cash at the moment, Paypal offers some very reasonable financing situations to pay off your balance over time!
my favourite thing about a-camp is def being able to know these super rad people (and others!)
ugh so many people i love talking about a thing i love
ya’ll are making me miss the mountain hardcore. precious humans.
i love you all
Is it October yet? I’m so ready to hug all these people with my face and arms.
ALICE ENJOYS A BEVERAGE OUT OF A TARDIS CUP!
I DIDN’T KNOW I COULD LOVE ALICE MOTES MORE THAN I ALREADY DID, BUT GUYS, IT’S HAPPENING!
Oh stop it! You’re making my heart grow three sizes!
just wait until we do the alice motes straddler on the street
JUST WAIT
OH GOD WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
I see you still haven’t forgotten that promise…crap.
What have I got myself into!
holy shit I can’t wait
Do we know how many 4th time campers there will be?
i think like 15? maybe more though, that’s just the number from the regonline export accounting for everybody who checked off that they’d been at april, september and may camps, and not everybody filled out their whole form.
yeah i think 15
ahhhhhhh check your email plz!! xoxo
“Going to A-Camp is like breathing when you didn’t realize you were holding your breath the whole time.”
ALICE YOU ARE SO AWESOME Because this is the perfect thing to say to sum up A-Camp and also because you gave me a rainbow flag.
<3 35 days and counting
Yay! I’m happy to spread the colorful queerness around! Hope she’s been treating ya well!
LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!!
I’m only 16 so I really hope this camp is still happening when I’m older!!!
why do I feel like I’m being called out (in a good way)?
OMG. I love all these people. Go to A-Camp! Meet awesome queers!
So many Toros. So many awesome Toros. Miss you all!
We’re representing strong! :)
this kind of makes me want to cry for some reason; not sad cry, but happy cry. i can’t even explain how much a-camp has changed my life. i didn’t think i’d be able to come back for the fourth camp because i am so broke, but fucking katie millar (WHO I MET AT CAMP) and anne marie paid for me to go. because they love me. and that makes me want to cry again, because CAMP. guys. go to camp. i can’t even.
holy shit jen i didn’t know that i am very possibly crying in my kitchen now
YOU GUYS
<3
I LOVE YOU! The mountain just wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t there, too.
How come you’re low on people this time when there haven’t been enough spaces previously?
The fee went up. Also, they usually end up going through the whole waitlist anyway.
actually, fall camp has never been full! the dates are a lot harder for people. for september 2012 camp, we had 40 empty spots by the time camp happened, but because we were so wrapped up in and excited about the indiegogo campaign and insanely busy, we weren’t able to work as hard to fill those spots at all. this time we’re more organized and experienced, and have more social-media-savvy team members, so we’re actually able to invest energy in promotions. also for september 2012, we did a promotional post about a month or so before camp, and posted about having spots on social media, but nobody seems to remember that and we still hear about people who would’ve signed up but had assumed it was full. so we knew this time we had to do much more in order to ensure everybody was aware that there were spots open.
the fees have gone up, as dina said, but also when the deposit was super low, everybody signed up impulsively and so it would fill up fast and go to a waitlist, and then everybody would cancel and we’d plow through the waitlist. but that’s changed now that the deposit is higher (and we’ve had half as many cancellations this camp as we have for previous camps). and what dina said is true, even may camp ended up having 2-3 empty spots because we blew through the entire waitlist. the only camp where not everybody got in was april 2012 camp, and that’s because it was super-cheap and also because we were only able to take 165 campers because of a school group present on our first night, as opposed to the 260 campers we can take now.
+1 for the fall dates being harder. school is a buzzkill. i know quite a few of us that really would love to go back, but can’t make it work this time. BUT WE WILL RETURN and you all should go to this camp if you can because it’s amazing.
Thank you for this explanation, Riese. I think the campaign to get more people signed up has gotten the word about Camp out to more people, which is exciting to me as someone who has school conflicts but is dying to go back. It just reminds me how hard you all are working to keep Camp fresh and more wonderfulamazingfantastic than ever.
That’s really interesting, thanks! I love hearing about the decison-making process.
AHHHHHH I WISH I WAS GOING
I feel like I live on the wrong continent sometimes.
I feel like this often.
I live in the right continent, but the wrong part of it… It should be North, not South.
I want to go to A camp so bad! Teleportation really needs to be a thing.
I am excited to see all of you and meet the new campers!
I had my hopes up that I could go but then my boss just told me he’s going to be on vacation that week. Which means that I’m in charge. Which means I can’t go to A Camp yet again!
:'(
this is sad!!
i agree, i am upset
this feels selfish of your boss
i hope he knows how selfish he is being :(
your boss knows he can’t come to camp right?
“vacation”
Yes “vacation”!!! I kinda giggled inside…there’s no way he would be at A Camp but it was kinda funny for a second until I realized that I couldn’t go. I’m going to request time off for the spring camp waayyyyyy in advance!
It’s kind of the time of year all of us airline people go on vacation. Since we fly standby, September and early October are usually good because everyone is back to school. That’s when I fly around the world for freeeeeeee!
Not around the world yet, that’s just when I take trips. :)
This is like window shopping for friends.
“get in weirdo, we’re going to a-camp” – a queerer, kinder version of regina george aka everyone in this post and on the mountain
And the burn book is full of half virgins.
It’s really not fair to keep reminding me how much i’m missing out on at A-Camp due to being an extremely poor just-graduated student from England. I guess I’ll just have to do the lottery from now on every day until camp and keep my fingers crossed.
love seeing the Slayers reppin’ here.
Guysss. I’m so freaking excited!
Please tell me this camp will also happen during summer when all of us in school are on break??!
we currently can’t host camp during the summer because a. the campsite we use is a real summer camp, so there are small children there during the summer and b. it would be so so so expensive to rent a campsite during “peak” season so we currently specifically find times that are cheapest so it is affordable for all of you guys! but hopefully one day we can host camps all year round and you can come, or maybe even before then you could take a mini vacation and come even though school is in session! i hope we see you on the mountain one day, is the point :)
I’m going to miss all of you <3 <3 <3