ABOVE: Participants from one of Metro’s previous, in-person LGBTQ youth summer camp sessions. Photo courtesy Metro Inclusive Health.
TAMPA BAY | Metro Inclusive Health will hold its first “Stay-In LGBTQ+ Summer Camp” June 8-12 and July 27-31, virtually engaging with isolated LGBTQ youth coping with COVID-19.
The nonprofit shared May 7 that while this year’s annual event will be held via the video conference service Zoom, LGBTQ youth and allies ages 13-17 can expect familiar offerings. They will also receive tailored care packages.
“Camp is a magical place and we aim to bring an element of personalized magic to LGBTQ+ teens wherever they are participating from,” says LGBTQ+ Program Specialist Emma Makdessi, who helped orchestrate this year’s offering. “In these uncertain times, connecting with community is more important now than ever before.”
Participants can attend one or both weeks, with registration for the first week underway through May 22. Each day is comprised of inclusive activities, workshops and meetings.
While the first day’s programming is pre-scheduled, campers will choose between activities and workshops for the rest of the week while registering. Activities include a virtual tour of the Tampa Museum of Art, a “‘Sunrise’ Queer and Trans Yoga” event with an out-of-state instructor and more.
Attendees will also choose between a number of lighthearted and instructive workshops. The first week features two per day and will engage youth on a range of topics.
Workshops include “Activism through Art,” which details how attendees can use their voices creatively; “Improv and Theatre,” an improv session examining theatre’s impact on the LGBTQ community, “Queer Skills for Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse,” which develops survival skills and more.
Leading up to the camp, Metro’s staff will prepare each registered youth’s care package. They will include supplies for arts and crafts specific to the workshops each attendee chooses, their chosen snacks for the week, raffle tickets for chances to win prizes, bunk decorations and flags. Packages will be mailed or available for contactless pickup at Metro’s St. Petersburg or Ybor locations.
To keep the camp cost-free for participants, the nonprofit allows community sponsorships. Care packages can be sponsored for $50 and interested parties can become a virtual campfire sponsor for $250 or virtual cabin sponsor for $500.
“LGBTQ+ youth don’t always get the chance to just be kids,” LGBTQ+ Division Manager Cole Foust says. “They have to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, always wondering when the next hardship will hit. Our Summer Camp is a time for LGBTQ+ youth to kick back, laugh and build lasting connections with people who understand and respect them.”
For more information about Metro’s “Stay-In LGBTQ+ Summer Camp,” including registration and sponsorship details, visit MetroTampaBay.org. For the latest updates about COVID-19 and its impact on the LGBTQ communities in Tampa Bay and Central Florida, view Watermark’s frequently updated coverage here.
