This Saturday, June 23, is the annual Great American Backyard Campout (GABC), an event sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation “for families, youth and individuals to camp out in their backyards or local parks and to discover the fun of being in the great outdoors.”
For those with young children, it’s a chance to try some of the mechanics of camping (setting up a tent, sleeping together in a 6′ x 6′ space) without the stress of packing and travel. For those with older kids, it’s a chance to let them run the show of campsite setup (or to say “Go camp outside, and let us adults have the house for the night.”) You could also gather some friends and find a nearby state park for a group outing.
The GABC site has hints on the practicalities of camping, as well as activities like campfire songs, recipes, and games. If you register, you can also contribute to the Scrapbook, a forum for sharing camping stories, and list your Camper Profiles. This is a great way to get additional ideas for your adventures, but also a way once again to raise the visibility of LGBT families. Not that you have to talk about LGBT issues—but simply showing you are an LGBT family (“My partner and I went camping with our daughter . . .”) can help people realize we do more than go to Pride Marches and destroy the foundations of Western society.