Update: This contest is now closed, congratulations to the winners!
Hey! Are you a trans woman who really wants to go to A-Camp Midwest but don’t think you can afford it? Maybe you’ve got a lot going on right now, maybe you were surprised by the sudden announcement, or maybe you’re just a trans woman who’s struggling to make money because you’re, well, because you’re a trans woman. Well, great news! Thanks to an incredibly generous and kind donor, we’re sending three queer trans women to A-Camp Midwest for free! Technically, we’re giving away two that come with free North American travel and one that comes without travel expenses, but all will pay for shuttle and linen costs.
We know that camp isn’t perfect for everyone, but we’re working very hard to make sure that we are constantly getting better, and one way that we feel like we can do that is to make sure as many trans women get to go to camp as possible. The trans woman who is donating these camperships wants to say a few words about her own camp experiences.
I want to say a few things about what A-Camp is to me, and why I enjoy it enough to sponsor camperships.
I think that we can all agree that the world we live in is pretty problematic when it comes to tra… well, everything. Relevant to this campership, though, the world isn’t always the the most enjoyable place to be a trans woman in. What I found at A-Camp 6.0 (my first camp), was a group of queers that was strikingly less problematic than I’d encountered anywhere else. I can’t say that it was perfect, but I felt more accepted and free at camp than I did at home; that was nice. By the end, I had made some amazing friends, and went home wishing I could stay.
Yes, problematic things still happened at camp, but I saw an A-Camp staff that cared. I saw A-Camp staff take immediate action to fix problems and issue apologies. I heard conversations about how to be better, to make camp more inclusive, and to make camp a safe space. The active engagement of leadership makes me feel good about future A-Camps, and my continued participation in them.
So, this brings me back to the camperships. While I cannot share my exact experiences, I can make it possible for other trans women to create their own.
If you’re interested in applying, please send the following to mey (at) autostraddle (dot) com
- Your name and a bit about you
- Why you want to go to camp/what you hope to get out of it
- Your favorite thing about AS
- One Autostraddle article or essay that especially impacted you and why
- If they’re applying to the travel ones or the no travel one
This contest will be open for one week and will close at 12:01 AM Tuesday, the 16th.
Good Luck!
* Information about applying for general camperships will be out later this week, so keep your eyes peeled! If you’re a company who would like to sponsor a campership, please contact sarah [at] autostraddle [dot] com. If you’d like to donate to the general campership fund, you can do so right here. *
You are awesome, anonymous campership sponsor!
We love you!
Chirp fucking chirp!
Are these only for first timers or can I apply as a returning camper?
One can be for a returning camper, but we’re giving two to new campers!
Okay thanks :)
This sounds amazing!
I don’t know if would go, not because of being a pre-HRT transwoman or anything related to that. But mostly to my social anxiety and dealing with others in close proximity. I’m not quite comfy with myself yet to share it with other people.
But A-Camp sounds amazing. One day, maybe I will give it a go.
i hope you do!
Hoorah! This is excellent! I hope y’all get an excellent response to the contest itself, but also that lovely comments rain (or beam?) from the skies. xx
This makes me so happy! I love seeing inclusivity and opportunity spread around with purposeful and thoughtful actions. Best of luck to the lovely ladies who get to go thanks to the kindness of strangers.