[Editor’s note: Passing along this press release as-is. —Dana]
Do you have/had one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer parents?
Do you want to connect with a fabulous and fun community of others who share that experience?
Do you want to learn and strengthen your skills for making change in the world?
Join COLAGE at our first-ever national Speak OUT Camp!
http://www.colage.org/programs/events/speakoutcamp/
What: COLAGE Speak OUT Camp
A brand new COLAGE program for teens and adults, this long weekend will engage current and emerging COLAGE leaders in community building, popular education, skill building, action planning, and fun. Speak OUT Campers will gain the knowledge, tools, and support to make a difference on the issues that matter most while getting to immerse in COLAGE community, relax and celebrate our fabulous movement of youth and adults who have or had a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer parent.
What to expect during the weekend:
- The unique opportunity to meet other teens and adults with LGBTQ parents
- Skill building in public speaking, media activism, school and COLAGE chapter leadership, political advocacy and more
- Popular education rooted in the COLAGE anti-oppression framework where you’ll learn about the intersections of prejudice, power, and oppression, reflect on histories of political organizing, and grow your ability to be an effective leader and ally
- Meet and learn from the COLAGE National Staff, a diverse team of seasoned organizers and movement leaders
- Team building activities and low ropes challenge course
- Go back to your local community with new tools, ideas and energy for making change and receive ongoing support and guidance from COLAGE for carrying out your action plan
- Enjoy the beautiful setting and wonderful company, after all, its COLAGE, so we’ll have lots of fun!
Why:
Very rarely are there opportunities for young adults with LGBTQ parents to come together as a community and to bask in the power of our voices. Even as we respect and support our parents, we know our families are discriminated against because our families aren’t seen as “normal”. This means that sometimes we and our families are isolated, and don’t have the respect, rights, and recognition that all families deserve. All of these realities and the realness of oppression in our lives give us the experience of being or feeling different. By coming together as a vibrant community, we realize that our differences are our strength and can use our voices to speak truth to power and to help create the world we want to see.
As a participant in the Speak OUT Camp, you will join COLAGE’s national network of youth and adults who engage in media activism, public speaking, chapter leadership, and advocacy. Campers will develop action plans to take all the passion and skills from Speak OUT Camp back to their school, local or state communities.
When: Thursday, November 5 – Sunday, November 8, 2009
Note: We realize that asking participants to potentially take time off from school or work to attend this exciting event may be difficult. Yet, the opportunity for our community to gather is so rare, that we hope as many of our campers as possible will join us for the entire long weekend. We are happy to work with you to gain permission, or even credit, with your school or job to attend. Even if you are only able to participate for the weekend, please apply and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Where: Cherokee Outdoor YMCA, Woodstock, GA
Nestled on 220 acres on Lake Allatoona, our camp site is 30 minutes North of the Atlanta, GA airport. Speak OUT Campers will stay in winterized lodges in a beautiful outdoor setting.
Who:
The COLAGE Speak OUT Camp is for you if:
- You are 15 or older,
- You have or had one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer parent/s,
- And you are excited to make change in the world and want to grow the skills and opportunities you have to do it!
No prior experience with COLAGE or the COLAGE Speak OUT program, as a leader in the LGBTQ movement, nor with other people with LGBTQ parents is necessary; just a passion to learn, to make a difference and to have fun!
Youth and adults of color, people with one or more transgender parent/s, and folks from the South are especially invited to apply.
For attendees who are under the age of 18, a special waiver form will be required with signatures from your parent or guardian.
Travel Information:
For those flying to the event, we suggest that Camp participants arrive between 10 am and 6 pm on Thursday, November 5th to the Atlanta airport. Transportation will be provided from the Atlanta airport to the Speak OUT camp site.
For those driving to Speak OUT camp, we invite you to arrive at the Cherokee YMCA Camp between 3 pm and 6 pm on Thursday, November 5th. Parking on-site will be available.
Additional transportation will be arranged from a TBA pick up spot in Atlanta for local and regional participants.
Cost:
Registration for the COLAGE Speak OUT Camp is on a sliding scale range of $0 – $150. Your registration fee helps cover lodging, food, ground transportation and programming for the weekend. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. If you or your family wishes to contribute additional resources to the COLAGE Speak OUT Camp to allow us to offer the sliding scale registrations and travel scholarships, please contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director or Jack Ryder, COLAGE Development Manager.
The main cost for COLAGE Speak OUT Camp is travel to the Atlanta area. Travel scholarships are available by request. COLAGE is also happy to help accepted campers fundraise, apply for travel grants, or receive sponsorship from their schools, faith communities, local LGBTQ organizations or other resources to enable your travel to the COLAGE Speak OUT Camp.
How do I sign up?
Please fill out the Speak OUT Camp Application Form and
- email to meredith (at) colage.org
- fax to 415-255-8345
- or mail to: COLAGE Speak OUT Camp
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 830
San Francisco, CA 94103
If you are requesting a travel scholarship, you must include the Travel Scholarship Request with your application.
All applications are due Monday, September 21st by 5 pm Pacific Standard Time. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance to Speak OUT camp and if they have been awarded a travel scholarship via email by Monday, October 5th, 2009.
For more information, contact Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director at 415-861-5437 x102
or by email at meredith (at) colage.org.