For many, sleepaway camps are a childhood tradition. Some, however, were excluded from this custom because of their gender identity until 2010.
Nick Teich, a 31-year-old transgender man, has attended conventional summer camps since 1993. While working as a volunteer in 2009, he decided to transition.
"When I announced I would be transitioning genders, they told me I was no longer welcome back the next year," Teich said.
He said children aware of their gender identity—unlike Teich, who discovered his in his early 20s—inspired him to create a sleepaway camp for transgender and gender-variant youth.
Within a few months, Teich founded Camp Aranu'tiq, a summer camp for those very individuals. He said he chose the name after the native Alaskan word, which means "one who transcends gender."
He said most overnight camps are not friendly to trans youth, which forces some parents to settle with never letting their children experience camp.
"Camp for me was the only place I could be myself," he said. "And I think that experience for kids who have a lot going on, be that gender wise or otherwise, is really important."
He said in its first year in 2010, there were roughly 40 campers and in 2014 there were nearly 400 at two camp locations, one in New Hampshire and another in southern California.
The New Hampshire property, which was purchased by the camp in September, is its first permanent location. Teich said the camp's funding campaign has gathered about $2.2 million of its $3.6-million goal from mostly individual donors through trans communities and conferences since its launch in May.
He said many people have asked him and camp administrators how it feels to accomplish so much over the last few years, but he said he can hardly take the credit.
"All we've done is really given them the space," he said. "The kids and the counselors are doing the work, which is them being themselves. We're giving them a place to do it but we're not doing anything beyond that."
The recreational camps do not include any formal therapy sessions, and children are only asked to give their preferred names and pronouns.
"For me, it was really important that these kids just be treated like any other kids at a camp in a normal way, and not be forced to talk about their gender," Teich said.
He said discussing his own transition with others became tiring at times, and he wants children to have the freedom to discuss their gender on their own terms.
"I wanted them to be able to opt in rather than opt out," he said. "And sometimes you just want play softball or make friends and be with others like you."
The New Hampshire and Southern California locations offer children ages 8 to 15 up to a two-week-long program featuring outdoor recreation as well as arts and crafts, drama and archery, among other activities.
The New Hampshire location also offers a camp for teens ages 16 to 18 to develop leadership skills and a weekend long family camp.
One couple from Champaign, who wanted their last names omitted for privacy purposes, said their son, Daniel, has attended Camp Aranu'tiq since 2013.
Sara, Daniel's mother, said it is the first and only overnight camp Daniel has attended. She said Daniel was emotional at first, but the camp staff sent her and her husband, Mica, email updates letting them know he was adjusting well.
"Camp Aranu'tiq is so vital to Daniel's well-being," Mica said. "It's almost like you can see the life come back to him when we even talk about camp coming up soon. It's like he's completely reenergized and its so powerful to see that."
Daniel said he has made many friends through camp, one who he keeps in touch with through Skype.
"I just love camp so much. When I leave camp I get so mad but the minute I get into the car I can't wait to go next year," Daniel said.
Camp Aranu'tiq is the biggest and most well-known camp, but it is only one part of Harbor Camp, its overarching nonprofit organization.
A new program through Harbor for next year is the LGBT family camp, which will be a weekend-long event for LGBT families at the New Hampshire location.
Teich said he aspires to establish a one-week camp for children with dwarfism in 2016, and a hopefully another for kids with facial differences and anomalies in 2017.
"I was researching underserved camp populations … and these two populations really jumped out as me as such," Teich said.
Tori Gabriel, a development director at Camp Aranu'tiq, said the camp is also willing to work with families with special financial situations.
"One of the most amazing things about this camp is that they never turn away a camper due to inability to pay," she said. "I think that's really important and speaks volumes for the commitment Nick has to these kids."
Specific information on camp dates, tuition and activities can be found at www.camparanutiq.org .
