Introducing Camp Autostraddle 6.0

Once upon a time we had a dream. It involved a couple hundred of you, 40 of us, a group retreat site in the San Bernardino Mountains and a weekend packed with workshops, panels, classes, meet-ups, activities and performances designed to inspire, educate, entertain and/or make you laugh — basically, it was the spirit of this website manifested in three entire dimensions mixed with a dash of old-fashioned Summer Camp goodness and an infusion of conference style. We wanted to create a special (and affordable!) space where you could be yourself, enhance your relationships within the international queer community, support Autostraddle, be a kid again and make new friends forever.

It was a dream called A-Camp, and it came true the last weekend of April 2012 and it was a total shitshow but also amazing. We’ve since held increasingly spectacular A-Camps in September 2012, May 2013, October 2013 and May 2014. In 2015, we’re only gonna be holding only one A-Camp, and it’s definitely going to be the best A-Camp in the history of modern camping. Possibly pretty high up there with the invention of The Tent.

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When

5:30 PM May 30th – 10 AM June 4th

Where

Alpine Meadows Retreat Center in Angelus Oaks, California. It’s less than three hours from Los Angeles and San Diego, four hours from Las Vegas, five hours from Phoenix and seven hours from San Francisco. We’ll be running shuttles from LAX to the campsite from 11:30 AM to 2PM on May 30th and shuttles back to LAX at 10:00 AM on June 4th.

Who?

You weirdos! Our campers range in age from 18 to 50 and come from all over the world, including lots of Canadians and quite a few Australians and Europeans. Generally half our campers are under 25 and half are over 25, and 60% are first-timers.

Also: Us! We are headed up by A-Camp Co-Directors Robin Roemer & Marni Kellison, and in order to give you the broadest range of programming possible, we’ve got a staff-to-camper ratio of about 1:7.

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How

Tuition is $595 and is all-inclusive — that’s five days and nights of food, lodging, programming and entertainment for less than $119 a day! It’s the most affordable event of its kind, and  just $75 down reserves your spot. Questions about the cost? Check out our FAQ.

Want more details? Let’s go!

Anything…

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Is…

A-Camp 21

Possible…

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We’re shaking it up again this year with a revamped schedule and roster of truly spectacular programming that’ll go deep into our hearts and souls to bring out the best in you, teach you new things and enable you to have TONS OF FUN. We’ll be hosting our first-ever A-Camp State Fair (for real this time), which’ll be spectacular because LIVESTOCK. (Just kidding, no livestock.) Plus, we’ll be well into June and thus it’ll be warm enough for swimming, canoeing, hiking and star-gazing.

LodgingA-Camp 2

You’ll be having the bestest biggest grown-up slumber party of your life in fully insulated, carpeted & heated cabins with private bathroom/showers/baths and bunk beds. You’ll be sharing these cabins with somewhere between 12 and 18 others, which can be intense, but is mostly A BLAST.  Cabin groups are designed with your best interests in mind, and you’ll also be teaming up with other cabins to compete in the camp-wide Rainbow Wars.

Note: All campers under the age of 21 will be in the same cabin.

Food

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You’ll get three meals a day with snacks — we now work with the chef to design a menu and options catered specifically for our group, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options as well as meals for people with food allergies.

Daytime Programming

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You’ll have full access to a variety of activities, workshops, panels, sports, discussion groups, classes and arts & crafts.

Activities offered at previous A-Camps include…

Arts & Crafts:

  • Bow-Tie Making
  • Chingona Chats and Crafts: Sacred Queer Heart Shrines
  • DIY Daisy Dukes
  • Look After Yourself: Self-Portraits
  • DIYke Hardware Jewelry
  • Nerdcraft
  • Make A Thing: Merit Badges
  • Knit Your Way To A Better Life

Workshops:

  • Songwriting 101
  • “Ropes Course” and Kink Workshop
  • YO! A-Camp Raps!
  • Pure Poetry Challenge
  • Comics With The Lumberjanes Team
  • Lez Talk About Sex(ual Health)
  • Swagger 101
  • Peer Counseling For Everybody!
  • Casual Sext
  • Improv Comedy

Sports, Games, Etc:

  • Self Defense 101
  • Cheer Camp
  • Ballet for Basic Bitches
  • Rock Yoga
  • Beyonce’s Dance Grooves
  • Hip-Hop Dance
  • Canoeing
  • Geek Trivia
  • Mindfulness & Meditation
  • Haus of Vogue

Discussion Groups, Panels & Presentations

  • Queer People of Color Politicking & Zine-Making
  • Mixed-Race/Biracial/Multi-racial Discussion Group
  • Profesh Pantsuit Power Hour
  • Speed Dating
  • Gender Spectrum
  • Mommy Queerest: Queer Parenting Panel
  • Party of One: An Introvert Feelings Atrium
  • Tardy for the Party: A Coming Out Later In Life Discussion Group
  • Mountaintop Bisexual* Discussion Group and Hummus Appreciation Society
  • Real Talk: Your Relationship Doesn’t Have To Suck
  • Bloody Hell: A Menstruation Feelings Atrium
  • Mystery Homo Theater 4000

Nighttime Entertainment

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Autostraddle After Dark includes crazy-fun evening entertainment that changes every time. There’s always a last night dance and there’s always a Staff Reading, and this time, you can definitely count on a night of Comedy and a night of Music. Past After Dark activities have included game shows like The Strip Spelling Bee, musical extravaganzas like Lilith Flair, X-Files screenings and The All-Camp Variety Show.

Talent

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WE’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT OUR TALENT Y’ALL!!!

Dannielle Owens-Reid, “Everyone is Gay”

website // twitter // instagram // tumblr // autostraddle

Dannielle resides in Los Angeles, and has been working with LGBTQ young people for over four years as the co-founder of Everyone Is Gay. She holds a BA in Theater Performance, and studied comedy in Chicago for 4 years, performing at iO Chicago, Second City, and The Playground. She has also worked extensively in the world of social media, heading up social interactions for Virgin Mobile on the Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour in 2012 and was first runner-up to be MTVs first ever TJ (twitter jockey — it’s not a thing anymore). She created Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber aaaand recently co-authored the book This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, with business partner, Kristin Russo. Her cat’s name is Janet.

DeAnne Smith, Comedian

website // twitter // instagram // autostraddle

DeAnne blogs for Autostraddle, but mostly she’s known for her hilarious stand-up and prolific career as a comic. This three-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee (2011, 2012, 2013) has performed all over the world, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Iceland Comedy Festival and Just for Laughs Montreal and Chicago to name a few. She’s also been on TV in four countries, including on Last Comic Standing NBC, The Late Late Show on CBS, Canada’s The Comedy Network and CBC, Australia’s Channel 10 and ABC, and UK’s Sky TV. She co-created the timeless webseries Tiny Pineapple and produces the wonderfully hilarious podcast, Questionable At Best. The Montreal Gazette says DeAnne is “fresh, cutting…one of the finest wits in the country.” The UK’s Telegraph calls her “Smart. Very funny. Effortless charm lets her get away with murder.” She’s never actually murdered anyone.

Jasika Nicole, Actor

website // twitter // instagram // tumblr // autostraddle
Jasika is an actor who is probably best known as Brenda from that Alltel commercial she did 8 years ago that ran for a few months, but she also spent five years playing Astrid on Fringe and is currently on Scandal. She has a lot of hobbies such as hating cheese, obsessing over your Mom, and reading power tool reviews on Amazon. She also spends a lot of her time knitting, sewing clothes, building things, and drawing her comic “Closetalkers,” which is a story about two best friends who fall in love with each other. Her favorite color is mint green, her favorite film genre is depressing documentary, she doesn’t like dangly earrings, and her current dream role is Dorothy in The Wiz.

Jenny Owen-Youngs, Musician

website // twitter // instagram // tumblr // autostraddle

Jenny Owen Youngs is a singer, songwriter, and natural history enthusiast who grew up in the forests of northern New Jersey and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. She self-released her first album Batten the Hatches in 2005, then went on to release two albums and three EPs through the Canadian indie label Nettwerk Records. More recent years have seen a return to her DIY roots with the self-release of her most recent album (An Unwavering Band of Light) and EP (Slack Tide). She has toured extensively through the US and Europe, both as headliner and support to artists such as Regina Spektor, Motion City Soundtrack, Against Me!, and Amanda Palmer. Her songs have been heard on Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Catfish, and in Victoria’s Secret stores the world over. There’s a pretty decent chance she has watched more cumulative hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer than you or anyone you know.

Julia Nunes, Musician

website // twitter // instagram // tumblr // autostraddle

Julia Nunes (pronounced NOONZ) hails from upstate New York. She is a talented singer-songwriter, guitarist, and ukulele player. She started writing songs at the age of 13 for her middle school ska band. She gained a rabid following on youtube by posting videos playing her heartfelt originals and creative covers. Most videos are edited together with multiple layers showing each instrument and vocal part as she records it. In 2009, Ben Folds took notice of her cover of his song “Gone” and took her out on an East Coast tour. She’s also toured with and played on stage with Ben Kweller, Amanda Palmer, A Great Big World and Weezer. She made her television debut on Conan in 2012 playing her original “Stay Awake.”  In 2013 Nunes started playing living room shows, putting on completely acoustic concerts inside people homes. Always creating her own path, Julia is funding her latest album with a wildly successful kickstarter campaign. When the album drops mid 2015 she’s sure to come to a club/bar/living room near you.

Kristin Russo, “Everyone is Gay”

website // twitter // instagram // tumblr // autostraddle

Kristin Russo is the co-founder of the LGBTQ youth organization Everyone Is Gay, and holds a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan. She recently co-authored the book, This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, and launched The Parents Project (a first-of-its-kind digital presence for parents of LGBTQ kids) with her business partner (and famous celebrity), Dannielle Owens-Reid. Kristin resides in Brooklyn, NY, is married to a musician named Jenny Owen Youngs, and has a cat named Trey who does not yet hold any degrees and frequently sleeps to close to the heater.

Brittani Nichols, Comedian

website // twitter // instagram // autostraddle

Brittani Nichols has been a professional freelance African-American for over 25 years and a Los Angeles based comedy person for quite some time. In addition to serving as the Comedy and Sports Editor for Autostraddle, she’s written for HuffPo, Elixher and Jezebel and appeared on television (Billy on the Stree, the Collective). Brittani’s pilot, Words With Girls, premiered at HBO/BET’s Urbanworld Film Festival and is now available online at Color Creative TV. She’s currently a writer on the upcoming BET show, The Vince Swann Experiment. Brittani currently does stand-up from time to time and imrpov a lot of the time with her teams Charm School and Dunkmore. She’s performed in shows at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (LA and New York), on iO West’s Mainstage, and at the Downtown Independent Theater along with other fun places like a hostel. She even spoke at a college once.

Swag

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You’ll get your very own A-Camp Tote bag, chock full of fun shit from our sponsors and your very own A-Camp T-Shirt. (If you’re an independently owned business who’d like to see your swag in our bags, hit us up!)

Camperships & Tuition Discounts

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Your generosity has sent over 30 deserving humans to A-Camp over the past three years, and you’ll have the chance to make dreams come true again this year by donating to our campership fund. Our goal is to offer 5-8 full camperships and 5-8 partial camperships of 30%-60% off, and five spots at half price. We’ll start accepting essay applications and soliciting donations next month in a post which will feature essays from our May 2014 Campership recipients. But if you wanna donate to the campership fund right now, you totally can! If you donate a full campership we’ll be in touch regarding whether or not you’d like your identity revealed to the camper. If you have an independent business who’d like to sponsor a campership, get in touch with alex [at] autostraddle.com. Previous sponsors have included Kipper Clothiers, Scout’s Honor, Kreuzbach10 and Hannah Hart.

We also recognize that as A-Camp becomes more expensive it becomes harder to maintain the diversity we require for a truly successful A-Camp. We encourage campership applicants who are of color, trans women, mothers, or over 35 and newly out and will have some specific opportunities for QTPOC.

If you cannot attend camp without a full Campership, do not register for camp! We reserve spaces for Campershippers so you don’t need to snag one in case you become a Campershipper — that’s been taken care of.

Okay, I’m in. What now?

If you wanna get on the saddle and trot on over to A-Camp with us this spring, here’s what you’ve gotta do:

1. For the low low price of a $75 non-refundable non-transferable deposit, you can snag your spot for the spring festivities. Please read the instructions at the top of each registration interface page if anything seems remotely complicated. Your full tuition is due April 7th. You can make partial payments between now and then by logging back in to the regonline system and making partial payments.

2. If registration fills up, you can put yourself on the waitlist. Be sure to put an e-mail address you check regularly and often, so you don’t miss our note if you’re up!

3. If you’re driving in on May 30th, please plan to arrive between 3 PM and 5:30 PM. On Sunday, please plan to leave by 11 AM.

4. If you’re looking for flights and will need transportation from the airport, be sure you can be at Terminal 6 by 2 PM on May 30th. If you’re getting in to LAX later than 2PM, you may miss opening night and you’ll have to make your own travel arrangements.

If you’ll need transportation to the airport on June 4th, there will be shuttles leaving at 10am. It takes two to three hours to get to the airport, so we advise against booking flights that leave before 3PM. If the 10AM shuttle won’t get you to the airport in time to make your flight, you’ll have to make your own travel arrangements. Options exists such as “getting a ride with another camper,” “bribing the kitchen staff” (no really this might be your best option) and “renting a car for a very low in-airport price.” Also, many campers stick around LA for the night or a few days or a few weeks, too, which is lots of fun!

5. If you need to cancel, you can just log back in to the registration interface and cancel!

6. QUESTIONS ABOUT REGISTRATION OR TRAVEL GO TO cool@autostraddle.com. (“COOL” stands for “Coordinator of Logistics”)

For More Information

On our A-Camp website, you’ll find our FAQ, the talent/staff we’ve got on board so far and a link to register the hell out of your unit. For more information about what goes on at A-Camp, you can check out our recaps from past camps and testimonies from campers about the joy of the experience. But A-Camp is whatever you make of it: every camper writes their own story. Come with your heart wide open and do whatever you want.

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What are you waiting for?

Register Now!

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Riese

Riese is the 41-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3238 articles for us.

249 Comments

    • I know! Flying is my literal nightmare. I literally have cried or had panic attacks or both in airports every time I’ve had to fly over the last few years, but I gladly hop a plane each time for Camp!

  4. I’M SO EXCITED OH MY GOD THIS POST IS SO BEAUTIFUL I AM SO GLAD I CAN FINALLY COME TO A-CAMP

  6. Are you guys ever gonna come to the east coast? I’d love to go someday but I’m way too poor to afford tickets all the way out to California.

    • that is our most frequently asked question and therefore exists right here:
      http://a-camp.org/faq-other/

      WHEN ARE YOU GONNA HAVE AN EAST COAST CAMP?
      Not any time soon! First of all, the weather is way nicer on the West Coast, thus enabling a longer off-season for the summer camps we rent property from. Most of our team and talent, including Senior Staff, lives on the West Coast. The cost of getting all our humans and all our supplies cross-country would be immense, which means your cost would be in the $1,200 range. So see it’s much cheaper for you just to fly to Los Angeles! We picked a site near LA because it is one of the easiest airports from which to find flight deals.

  9. weeee!!! ahhhh!! so excited to see your faces soo soon. in the sunshine. on a mountain. in California. ads;lkfjadls;kfads;fkaj1

  10. Ah! My Birthday was 2 days ago the only problem is I turned 17 not 18! Can’t wait until I am finally old enough to go!

  12. HOW DARE YOU TEASE ME WITH PROMISES OF LIVESTOCK AND THEN CRUSH MY DREAMS??!!?!

    I’m still more excited than I’ve ever been for anything in my life so #itsfine

  13. JULIA NUNES?! YOU GUYS GOT JULIA NUNES?!?!?!

    Well I’m gonna go look at my bank account and cry forever now

  14. OMG IT’S REAL IT’S REAL IT’S REAL!

    I get to see my family again! And do all the things!

    Last May I signed up on a whim (I saw a post saying that it was 90% full on day 3 which jumpstarted my toying into depositing) and it was seriously one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, I especially recommend it for people who are just beginning to discover themselves. Camp helps tear down the bullshit and leave you open for good things.

  15. I’m registered! And this year, unlike last year, I think I’ll be able to afford to go (*fingers all crossed* that that remains true). I am SO exicted!!! :D

  23. Aw! Photos from my cabin at the very first camp, way back when I was a closeted gay. <3 to the Cherry Bombs folks, and (maybe) see y’all on the mountain again soooon.

  26. I feel like “we’ve got a staff-to-camper ratio of about 7:1” might have supposed to be the other way around?

    • WE ARE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR HAPPINESS YOU WILL HAVE SEVEN STAFF MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO YOU JUST YOU ATTENDING TO YOUR EVERY NEED

      (i mean, “fixed! thanks!”)

    • Carrie! I noticed that too but decided logging in to leave a comment about it was too much work, but the fact that it was you that pointed it out made me smile and then logging in seemed worth it. :)

  30. how is it that I’ve been saving money for months so I could go and now I’m all I DUNNO AM I SURE?

    ugh @ me

  33. I printed out my confirmation. I feel like these are my papers if I ever have to prove to someone my lesbian purity status.

  34. I AM DYING OF EXCITEMENT OMG K&D&J&J AHHHHHH. AND DEANNE SMITH IS COMING BACK!! SO. HAPPY. IS IT MAY YET?

    #CAMPSLOCK

  35. Registered. Crying. Flailing. So much flailing and calling of mothers.

    Except, don’t tell my grandma. She thinks I’m going to church retreat camp ;)

    CHURCH OF ALL THE QUEER DANCING DRINKING KNITTING THINGS!

    • I would like to request that you record yourself saying “go team” so that we can play it at necessary moments.

  39. So on my newly made list of “after I finish my MA and get a better paid job” I have now added: save the bazillion £ it will cost for me and my missus to fly to the U.S. and come to camp!
    P.S. I ordered an A camp hoody today so I can look the part while sitting in straightsville dreaming of being on a mountain full of queers.
    Have an amazing time campers!

  40. Ugh it kills to read this when I have the monies but know that it’s high unlikely work will let me out of this lab long enough to attend :( Still happy camping to those that do get to go

  46. IT’S HAPPENING. FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED AND IT’S HAPPENING. Also I cracked up at the realisation that I’m gonna be underage for A-Camp when I’ve been over-age in my own country for going on 3 years

  47. You guys, this is seriously reason number one for employment to happen (reasons number two and three are, you know, income and career advancement) because I want nothing more than to go to camp and bring my frisbee and play some random pick up game with y’all at camp.

  48. This is a couple of days after my graduation…I should sign up….Right?! I’m so indecisive and I just payed for other plane tickets today…. Why does fun have to cost so much money?

  50. AHHH! I’m at work and supposed to be doing work-things, but two people brought Boston Terriers in for a photo shoot (one of them fell asleep with his mouth still around a squeaky football. WHAT.), and now A-Camp excitement is happening, and I cannot be expected to get anything done in these conditions!! D:

    I am most excited to see everyone’s beautiful faces again! But I am second most excited that Jasika Nicole will be on the mountain!! I still give the name Astrid at Starbucks, because she is just my favorite (and my name is unspellable?). SO EXCITED OMG!! <3 <3 <3

  51. I really really hope that one day you will be able to hold an A-Camp somewhere in Europe! Or maybe I should hope that I will eventually have enough money to fly to America.

    When I eventually do get to visit the US, I will definitely be timing my trip around an A-Camp!

    Super jealous of everybody going this year especially because Jasika is there and Im a big Fringe/Closetalkers fan! Have loads of fun all you lucky people!

  53. When people are freaking out about Jasika Nicole being Astrid in Fringe they’ve got their priorities wrong, because she’s also Dana in Welcome to Night Vale! A-Camp somehow landed the second-greatest Dana of all time (way ahead of the kid from Homeland and just behind the late Ms. Fairbanks)

    • i was waiting for someone to point that out because i need someone to be as excited as i am the frIGGING MAYOR DANA WILL BE THERE AHHHH

      • debating whether not I should pack my Night Vale tank top cause I’ll look like a fangirl if Jasika sees it #acampproblems

  56. IPut together a camp playlist on Spotify after last camp and now it is perfectly playing out my feels one year later. Can’t take it!

  59. Can’t even explain how excited and giddy I am about camp.

    I also can’t even explain how pumped I am to meet NEW campers and new people!

    I really wanna be best friends with everyone at A-camp. I already have crushes on all of you.

    • Just noticed our nearly synchronized commenting and can’t wait for some SYNCHRONIZED LUNGING, ETC.

  61. Is there a way go to back and add flights and stuff to registration later if I don’t know it now?

    • Yes you will be able to log in again later to add those things. You only need to fill out the red starred things for the moment.

  62. Also can I just say having DeAnne Smith back was a MAJOR factor in swaying me to Register? I’ve been listening to ‘Questionable at Best’ RELIGIOUSLY since @carmenrios has been writing articles about it.

  63. REGISTERED & READY. so fucking excited. y’all have no idea. & this’ll be my first time back in the LA-area (my hometown) in 4 years. also surprisingly excited about that.

    question, though : Are any of you married / in long-term partnership with someone who *isn’t* going to camp & might be a little worried about it? my husband is supportive of my going, but a little wary as he’s concerned that there’ll be a lot of “lezzing out” happening (my words, not his, but I know he’s thinking it).

    anyone else experiencing this? what’re telling your SOs to quell their fears other than obvious (“Just trust me, OK?”)?

    SO FUCKING EXCITED!

    • I also feel compelled to mention that there’s a small, but persistent part of me that is asking if this camp is truly for me—if I’ll be fully accepted—because I’m married to a (queer-identified) cis-male. *I* most certainly identify as queer, but, I don’t know. I’m just a tiny-bit scared of maybe being ostracized for being married to a guy…? like maybe to some people I’ll be seen as sleeping with the enemy…?

      it’s super irrational, I know. but I’m having thoughts & since we’re already on topic, I mean. . . just figured I’d mention it.

      • I can’t make promises about your camp experience (except I will: you will love it), but it seems like to me camp is the PERFECT place for you! Everyone at camp is queer enough, even those people who are dating or married to Cis dudes (trust me, I could name you many campers and even staffers who are in your same boat). Not only do I feel like you’ll belong, I value your perspective and who you are as a person and I want YOU, personally, there. A Camp wouldn’t be the same magical place it was where only women-identified-women-who-only-sleep-with-women went. The diverse array of campers that are beckoned to Angelus Oaks via The Autostraddle Siren Song are what makes it magical. That includes you!

        Also, it’s hard to find a group of people with better communication skills about boundaries and safety. you or your husband don’t have to worry about you being preyed upon or anything. As for “Lezzing out”, some people do and some people don’t! Some of us are make out queens who have kissed everyone in our cabin and others of us come to camp with significant others (either in tow or at home) and don’t do anything and still others come and are single and don’t feel the need to hook up with a single soul! The magical part is that all of the types of people end up having a great time! And everybody gets along with everybody! Seriously, you should come. This place was built for you (and me! And so many other beautiful and unique queers!) Come meet us and say hi!

      • you are completely welcome at camp. put those thoughts away! tuck them into the back pocket of someone who is also walking out of your life. SAY GOODBYE TO THEM. come to camp! i can’t speak for married folks, but i did come to camp without my girlfriend – and i think because she’d been there before, she knew it was NBD. yes, we’re queer, and yes, people might connect their faces at some point, but there’s SO MUCH more to camp than that! like friends. and dancing. and laughter. and tears. those are my two cents.

      • Shout out to my cis (And trans*) male-married comrades! Let’s all just hug it out non-monosexual style :)

      • OMG! lovin’ this feedback & support. thank you so much, especially to Monique & Carmen, for your input & kind words. I have a feeling that my man is more than fine with it, he’s just expressed some small concerns about me going to a camp all by myself with other (hot!) queer-identified people. & we are monogamish, which adds another layer of complexity, so he & I will definitely have some talks about boundaries.

        but, mostly. . . I just feel really appreciative of the encouragement to come! & I will! already looking at flights. ;)

      • hello @ev-yan i am married to a dude and have been staff at all five camps, including running a workshop/discussion about being bi in which we discuss this very topic! this camp and this community is 100% for you; i think you’ll find that there are a lot of other people on the mountain who are in the same or similar situation, and that not only are you welcome in this community, but that you’re in good company. <3

    • I went last year and I had a girlfriend at home and I didn’t make out or “lezz out” with anyone. I think it is for you and he to decide if he trusts you to make decisions that he would be okay with.

    • <3 <3 <3 What everyone else says. I’m married to a queer boi who will not be at camp and we are 100% monogamous and I’m 100% sure it is going to be awesome and also 100% sure I’m not going to disappear into the lesbian foliage and never return.

      Your queerness is so valid. Let’s be queer and valid together.

      Can’t wait to meet you! And lez out without actually lezzing out with you!

  64. everything is beautiful and nothing hurts!!! I’m so excited to meet all of you beautiful people *especially* other first time campers! On a mountain like:

  67. I would love to be where my real self could BE. Free of assumptions and transmisogny. Don’t need touch…..just connection in my heart! Want to be there so much!!!

  69. I don’t know what I’m most excited for: terminal 6, the state fair, the special guests, all of you incredible people! This is going to be the best family reunion ever!

    • i am definitely excited, as always, for terminal six. even if i have to cross three terminals wearing a crop top to get coffee once i get there.

  70. This lines up perfectly with one of my last breaks in the forseeable future . Sign from the universe?
    Aughhhh I don’t know….

      • I love how Ali is the professional cheerleader of the thread. I would pretend to like whiskey just to hang out at a tasting with her.

        After many long hours of pondering, have put myself on waitlist. That’s a solidly halfassed commitment, right up my non-committal alley.

  71. To see all of you…not afraid of me….letting me be what I feel….and connecting with any of you on that basis…….. that has feelings for my female self… based on the reality of talking to me, and knowing me emotionally……..this is what understanding being transgender is……….and we ALL love you for taking the time and effort to realize the truth about trsnsgender…….we are you

  72. I so wish there was a way I could afford to go, and not feel mom guilt spending the money on myself if I did scrimp aNd make a way to afford it! Can’t wait to see all the updates and how much fun everyone has Though!

      • I wish I had a credit card for something like this, but I got myself in a lot if trouble in early twenties that I am still paying off. But maybe soon I can go that way… If only plane tickets weren’t so expensive!

    • Don’t feel guilty for doing something good for you sometimes! It’s good for everyone if mom is happy! :)

  73. I read every. single. word. of this post even tho I know I can’t go (heartbreak). What does this say about me…

  77. Wow! Just registered. This is going to be the best summer ever. First time! Can’t wait to meet you all. :D

  79. I may not have the best understanding of the space-time continuum but the proto queer 16 year old binge-watching Julia Nunes youtube situations and belting along to Batten the Hatches in her Jeep, who didnt see a future for herself really but had a feeling shit would maybe sort of work out can maybe attribute some of that magic to how stoked she is now 8 later about all of this. Also seeing the magical humans I adore from 5.0 and encountering even more magical humans and feeling all the things. Guyzz I’m so excited punctuation is really hard.

  82. If only I had taken the leap of faith and just quit my job with more savings intact. If I show up in California now, you guys might be stuck with me!
    Will be following all the excitement, and maybe be there next year!

  84. I knew I should have registered at work! I started registration and everything, but then I got distracted by that stuff I get paid to do. At least I’m near the top of the waitlist…

  85. SO STOKED. This will be wedged perfectly between graduating college and my 30th Bday. I am going to bury my youth in a blaze of glitter filled glory.

  87. I kept checking the site this morning before work hoping registration would be open, then tried to register on my phone at lunch but PayPal pooped out on me? Or maybe I should have used a real computer, idk. Waitlisted with fingers crossed! If I don’t get in, I hope you all have a fabulous time!

  88. I’m coming to camp, and I’m bringing some homies, and also gonna see my chosen fam the Flashdanciators, and hey first-timers, this is going to be one of the most wonderful things in your life, okay? Let’s be friends. I KNOW without a doubt that this’ll be the best camp yet.

    (Also…DeAnswer?? And Kristin and Dannielle?? All at once?? What kind of sorcery is this?? Can I hold out hope that Mal Blum will sneak into a suitcase and show up as well?)

    Holy shit I’m so excited to dance at Klub Deer and hug every person who wants to be hugged.

  90. Omfg if I could afford it, I’d be at A-camp without a second thought… But unfortunately being an East-coaster makes flights to LA pretty damn pricey. I’m super jelly that you got Kristen and Danielle to join you all at A-camp, I’ve loved them since I was a baby gay! Have fun everyone!!!!

  91. I just got home from being at work all day AND IT’S ALL FILLED UP AND NOW I’M GOING TO BE SAD FOREVER, BYEE!!!!

  93. oh man i took a stupidly long amount of time to decide whether i was brave enough to register without knowing anyone, and by the time i was emboldened, registration was full :( i signed up for the waitlist though, and i guess… lesson learned. womp womp

  94. I am registered for my first ever A-Camp! Y’all… I can’t even. I am so cited. I have been saving for this for a year and a half.

    Sidenote: my partner and I are planning on taking a trip to San Francisco while we’re on the west coast and were wondering if anyone would be driving that way and would maybe wanna transport a couple of charming British queers in exchange for banter, road trip snacks (and moneys, obv).

    ALSO- any recommendations for stuff to check out in SF? Yes I have the autostraddle city guide bookmarked…

    • I’m British as well (and don’t drive) so I can’t really help you, but I’m doing the same thing and apparently Megabus do a really cheap coach to SF! I think it takes about 6 hours, with the option for either the afternoon or around midnight.

      • I can drive I’m just too scared to do it on the other side of the road! Thanks for the tip- will look into it :)

    • I am driving down from SF and also driving back after camp- but I’m not sure what my carpool situation will be (if i am driving people down, i will also need to drive them back up!)… So when it gets closer, let’s touch base! (I’ll find you on the Bay Area Straddlers group- i saw yr comment earlier). Good luck! <3

      • Yesss! Let me know Melissa- we’d really love to be able to make the journey with some cool people as opposed to on public transport. x

    • This will be my first A-camp and I CANNOT WAIT. I’ve been refreshing this post and looking to the comments to hold me over until May. <3!

    • Hi, I’m coming from the UK too! What sort of flight times are you doing? I’m all in a kerfuffle, avoiding decision making. :)

      • We’re coming in the night before and catching up on some sleep before meeting everyone- found some really good deals on STA Travel for flights though!

  95. Full already? Dang. I was tempted to check the site at work today, but no, I’d already been too distracted by My Little Pony binging because it’s leaving Netflix on the 2nd. :(

  96. Anyone want to come and teach a delightful bunch of disengaged, at risk kids for a week?

    If only there was a way to convince my principal that camp definitely counts as ‘professional development’, I would willingly file all the paperwork required to apply for leave, write out 1000 lesson plans, buy plane tickets and come to camp.

    I WOULD DO THIS FOR YOU, AUTOSTRADDLE.

    • My principal doesn’t know the details of a-camp. But let’s me go because under te pretense of self-care. It’s worth a shot to ask. I’d suggest having a sub that said they were free and asking way in advance, to boost your chances.

  97. I have signed up for the wait list and WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. This is a formal request for Jenny/Dannielle/Kristin to call in sick for me and when they ask what’s wrong, shout ‘SHE’S QUEER, SHE’S HERE, SHE’S SORRY TO PUT YOU OUT BUT NEEDS TO STRADDLE MANY ISSUES RIGHT NOW’

  98. Hey y’all, the first 20 people to put themselves on the waitlist yesterday were all e-mailed with invites to register yesterday afternoon or evening, since the waitlist was triggered a little early, but only three of you have responded to those invites and actually registered! please check your e-mail if you think it was you! The email will come from events@regonline.com and the title of the email will be “A spot has become available for A-Camp June 2015 Registration!”

    • Is there a confirmation email for being put on the waitlist? I’m so paranoid that my request didn’t go through because I didn’t get an email.

      • haha i felt the same way, so i tried to put my e-mail on the waitlist again and it said “your email is already registered!” with the time i initially registered. it’s not much but it’s reassuring :)

  100. Gawd I’m so excited, I can think of nothing else. And I’m going to Hawaii next month. This is more exciting than Hawaii. I wish there was a special message board or something for A-Campers. (or is there!?) I just want to meet EVERYONE. :D

  101. Oh my god I’ve come out of lurkerdom to comment that it’s my birthday and it’s been terrible (srsly if you book a birthday holiday with your partner then break up because they cheat on you, DON’T be the bigger person and pretend you’re fine to go ahead with it ‘as friends’; you will spend two weeks hating yourself and sneaking off to cry in the shower because it’s the only place you have privacy) so as a gift to myself I decided to go to CAMP and it’s obviously full… I am on the waiting list and will be anxiously refreshing my emails from here until April…

    • :O
      I’m so sorry that was your birthday experience. I hope you get into camp and then it’ll be the best consolation prize ever.

      • Thank you! I am crossing all parts of myself that are crossable and just the thought of the possibility is making me feel more serene :D xx

  103. Maybe I could buy a lottery ticket, get lucky, win, and make it?

    “Get lucky.” “Make it.”

    Excuse the intrusion of my subconscious into the content of this post.

    SO. Maybe I’ll find some money and be able to come.

    Oh . . . never mind.

  104. As a teacher, I’m never going to be able to get to one of these. I’ve seen so many camps pass me by that it’s disheartening…
    School isn’t close to ending!!!

  106. Omg I never see these posts on time. :( I really want to go this year! *sits impatiently on the wait list*

  107. Two days late to this comment party but I’m gonna go ahead and have my own little #CAMPSLOCK celebration anyway:

    I AM DOING THIS THING (as long as my cheque gets to AS HQ on time, fingers crossed)
    WOOOOOOOOO
    I’M MILDLY TERRIFIED
    BUT THAT’S A GOOD THING RIGHT
    SO EXCITED TO MEET EVERYONE
    AND THEN HIDE IN A CORNER

    The timing of all of this is pretty poignant for me, with two very difficult anniversaries falling in early June. But I guess having feelings is what Mount Feelings is for.

  110. Urgh I wanna go so badly but California is so far away from Washington to drive. Psst, next year you guys should come to the Seattle area, its super pretty.

  111. I just booked my flight there and it was only $27!!! This is because I had a voucher from a past seat giving up, that I feel weird mentioning but am so glad I did because saving money on flights is good for my said little wallet. :D

  114. it’s so upsetting to me that you have to be 18 to go to this smh I am one year away plz riese let me in I won’t act childishly

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