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Gay Church Camp

Timothy Kincaid

August 6th, 2007

One of my favorite weeks of every summer when I was a kid was spent at church camp.  Up in the woods away from family and surrounded by hundreds of other kids, this was a time for both spiritual growth and for bonding with other kids who believed just like you.

Logo is currently running a documentary called Camp Out, about ten gay kids from the midwest who got together in 2004 for church camp (Lutheran) and a chance to get to know other kids who were gay and who shared their faith in God.  I recommend that you watch this special if you can (it is available on the logo website).  It touched my heart.

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Lynn David
August 6th, 2007 | LINK

We had a camp in southern Illinois for Catholic boys (and girls). I went there with some friends of mine from school/church when I was 11 and it was a great experience, mostly centered on the physical for the boys & teamwork. We had ‘cabin groups’ with a camp counselor overseeing us; and I think we won (got a gold patch from the camp as a reward). I rode my first horse there. Fun!

Unfortunately, I guess that camp had a run-in with a pedophile as a camp counselor somewhere along the line and closed down. But I got a flyer about it opening up again for this summer, so maybe it will have a go.

Strange though, now that I remember we had this free for all, where we were trying to tackle our camp counselor (who was really fit and strong). I went at him and he took me in those hands of his and forcefully laid me down on my back… I had my first real sexual response to a man and I went off to hug the wall and didn’t go at him again, as the other kids were doing. Then on an overnight hike when we camped by a small pond and everyone skinned up and went swimming. Well everyone but me, I wasn’t going in that muddy, slimy, green-algae-filled water. Our counselor counted heads in the pond and got a little scared when he came up one short. Spying me on the shore, he replied, “OH, YOU!” It was in such a tone that I thought he knew about my sexual reaction from before.

That scared the hell outta me for a while… sharing your gayness in a Catholic boys camp in the mid’60s could have gotten you shoved down a pit toilet, tied nude to a tree in the woods, or something worse. Happy to see things are changing.

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