Campfires & Rainbows

Chapter 22

Secret Gay Camp, In Legal Trouble!

There is this camp located in Missouri. It looks like your typical, every day summer camp... But it's not.

This camp caught the attention of many parents, homophobic parents. On the advertisement, the camp was presented as a place to 'fix' your child, if they are confused about their sexuality, they'll turn them straight. If they're confused about their gender, they'll turn them cis. The camp offers to give conversion therapy at a lowered cost. The camp also offers Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hinduism, and Christian services to help teach the kids.

Currently, there are 125 children at this camp, ranging from ages eleven to seventeen. That is 125 children who's families have sent them to a conversion therapy camp.

Conversion therapy is ABUSE. Anyone who sends their child to be 'converted' is an abuser. Conversion therapy is not sanctioned by the American Psychological Association. A psychologist can lose their license if they get caught doing it. Therapists that practice conversion therapy are not licensed professionals.

There are no specific, legal, requirements for how conversion therapy is conducted. Today, many still use treatments that were created in the 1960s and 70s including aversion therapy.

The therapists shock the patients with electricity, or give the patients nausea inducing drugs while making them watch same sex erotica. The whole purpose of conversion therapy is to turn the patient against what they are attracted to. They do this by torturing them until they are repulsed to what they were attracted to. It's basically giving them a mental illness to fix their 'mental illness.'

Gay conversion therapy has been proven to be ineffective, unethical and often harmful. The treatment can escalate anxiety and self-hatred in the patient who was treated for what is not a mental disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association does not classify homosexuality as a disease, therefore the American Psychological Association does not support conversion therapy.

Studies have shown that despite being loved and supported by religion, conversion therapy has little to no evidence to back it up.

Conversion therapy is in no doubt abuse. Luckily, despite what the camp's advertisement states, conversion therapy is not practiced in the camp.

This camp is secretly a safe haven for all LGBTQ+ members.

The moment campers step off the bus, they are greeted with love and acceptance.

When kids step off, they are asked what their preferred name, sexuality, gender, and pronouns are.

The transgender girls are roomed in a girls cabin and vice versa. If a camper arrives with clothes they don't feel comfortable with, they are given new clothes and haircuts that they feel comfortable in.

Not only that, but they have classes for the kids to learn. For example, kids at this camp have sex ed where they learn to have safe sex. Most of the people with STDs are gay. Today, most schools offer sex education, but they don't cover safe gay sex.

These kids get the love and support they don't have at home. I interviewed some of the kids at the camp.

One girl got sent here because her parents didn't validate her sexuality as real. When I asked her if they sent her to the camp because she likes girls she said, "They would be okay with it if I were simply gay. When I came out, they told me that I can't like both and that I'm disgusting. They called me a slut because that's what bisexuals are, they just want to sleep around with everybody."

She was hurt by the comments her own family made about her. Her twin sister who is asexual was called immature and 'mentally sick' by her parents. These two sisters felt safe and loved by their parents until they came out. Now they're scared to go back home. If a child can't even feel safe with their parents, imagine how scary the real world is.

There were these two eleven year old boys who's parents threatened to disown them. Many of the kids there have gotten threats of being disowned, but it is heart breaking to know that an 11 year old has to fear getting kicked out of their home.

Many parents separated the kids from their own siblings and family members so they don't influence or spread the 'disease' amongst the family.

Multiple children were physically abused by their parents. But there is this one girl in particular named Asmaa Almasi.

She is a homosexual muslim. Her father arrived at the camp and literally dragged her out. He broke into their cabin, and yanked her out of bed. One of the cabin-mates reported he pulled her out so savagely she had a huge floor burn on her thigh. While taking her away one brave girl stood up to him but was kicked in the gut as a response. The man dragged Asmaa down the stairs and to his car. One of the girls reported, he eventually knocked her out unconscious.

Asmaa has been located and is now in a safe place her father is currently in custody, awaiting trial. Authorities have reported that she has a black eye, and many cuts and bruises throughout her whole body.

I asked one of the girls how she felt when he took Asmaa and she said, "Scared... Scared for Asmaa, scared that someone else's parents were going to come in and drag them away, too. Scared that my parents would come and drag me away. I don't truly feel safe at home, or school, but I do feel safe here. I love this place and I'm not the only one. When we found out that this camp was going to be shut down, all hell broke loose. Kids panicked, I panicked. So many kids got anxiety attacks finding out that a place like this was going to be shut down, and that's saying something. That actually says a lot, kids shouldn't be terrified of going back into the real world. A world that hates us for who we choose to love,or who we choose to be."

Last but not least I talked to the Head Counselor and founder of the camp, Dean Higgins.

"Why disguise the camp as a conversion camp?"

"Children whose families who are willing to pay for a camp that will love and support the queer child, don't need it. I wanted to target children who's families didn't support them. Those are the kids that really need the help. My camp currently has 125 kids whose families don't accept them for who they are. And it's even more heart breaking that every year there is a waiting list. This year the waiting list holds over 300 kids."

"How is your camp in legal trouble?"

"One of our campers ran into the woods, we couldn't find her so we called the cops. They looked through some of our files and found out we were lying to families about what their kids were doing in camp. Which is illegal. Many parents are outraged and want to sue us."

"One final question. Why did you let me do this interview?"

"Our camp was going to be on the news sooner or later. I wanted people to know the real camp, before being blinded by homophobic news. I wanted them to know why it was necessary for us to lie. It was important for us to save kids who are hated and seen as repulsive by their families. We needed to be the support they needed. We needed to show them reassurance and love. Too much blood has flown from the wrists of the children shamed for who they choose to kiss or be."