Camp Free2Be helping trans youth find community
In 2019, Elizabeth Erion wished that her trans daughter had an opportunity to create community with other trans kids in the area. “I knew there were a few sleep-away camps for gender-expansive youth, but they were too far away, and financially out of reach for our family,” Erion said.
So she worked with another parent of a trans teen and formed Camp Free2Be. It started as a weeklong camp with eight campers and six junior counselors.
This year, the camp will serve more than 60 campers. Erion said that queer students may have limited opportunities to meet students who are like them, which makes the work Camp Free2Be does so important.
With the recent spike in anti-LGBTQ legislation around the country, a recent survey revealed that nearly half of trans youth feel unsafe in school. “Camps like ours offer trans and nonbinary youth a space where it’s completely safe to be their authentic selves; to wear clothes they might not normally feel able to wear; to try out a new name or pronouns; to meet other kids who know exactly what it’s like to be gender diverse.” To continue to build queer youth community, the camp is led by junior counselors from 15-18, who are also trans or non-binary.
