Lake Park Society in the Comox Valley are running a kids camp designed for LGBTQ+ kids to be themselves in a safe, supportive environment. (Lake Park Society)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

inclusivity

‘We all have an innate desire to feel like we belong:’ new day camp focused on safe space for LGBTQ+ kids

Apr 6, 2022 | 12:25 PM

COURTENAY — A new summer camp intends to provide a safe space for kids questioning their gender identity.

Lake Park Society in Cumberland is debuting “Camp Kin” in July, a summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth aged eight to 12.

Genevieve Burdett, society executive director, said the camp is about inclusion and celebration in a bid to better connect the local LGBTQ+ community.

“It’s still a pretty small community…so it’s sometimes hard to find our people and find those spaces. I think we all have an innate desire to feel like we belong or fit in without the need to change who we are, so this is about creating another space like that for kids.”

For the most part, the camp from July 11 to 15 will run like any other. Kids will hike and paddle and swim at Comox Lake.

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The added themes of inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community is something unique which the society hasn’t offered before and isn’t common in other communities.

“Even though sexual orientation and gender identity is being talked about more today than in the past, there’s still limited opportunities for LGBTQ+ kids, or kids that are curious or questioning, to feel safe and to be seen and to learn and connect with others,” Burdett said.

The camp will be led by instructors with lived experience, including one who helps run a similar camp through UBC with older youth and adults.

Registration is open through the society’s website, however Burdett said the camp will be kept small in a bid to provide a more intimate space for kids finding themselves.

“It will just be a really special intention to creating a supportive, fun community by creating a safe space for each camper.”

More information on the camp is available on the society’s website.

–with files from Jon De Roo, 97.3 The Eagle

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