Actually, I always kind of felt like that scene from Addams Family Values where Christine Baranski, who I am convinced is a drag queen, makes Pugsley and Wednesday Addams play Indians while all of the cool kids get to portray pilgrims in their first Thanksgiving reenactment. The Addams get revenge and end up hog tying their fellow campers over a spit fire grill and burning down the village because they stole the Indians land. Classic.  

Anyway, as a gay teen, I felt a little like an outsider even though I was extremely athletic and enjoyed the outdoors, I was a little different. I wanted to be able to socialize with my peers and have a summers end kiss in the canoe on the lake, and although Chelsea Keeler was cute, she was hardly my first choice of summer time crushes.  

Well, things have certainly changed in the decade since I went to camp, and I must say for the better. There is now a place where gay and lesbian teens can share all the experiences that come with summer camp, and they can do so on their own terms.  

Camping, OUT is a safe and unique opportunity for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied youth to participate in a traditional summer camp and be engaged in how they can become leaders in their community.  

Created by the Triangle Foundation, it is the first camp dedicated to providing an environment for LGBT teens to participate in all types of fun activities and in group discussions and workshops which are designed to help create successful community leaders.  

"A number of kids are concerned about what their experience will be. The bullying they experience at school sometimes carries over to camps," said Greg Varnum, Triangle's director of youth initiatives states on the Camping OUT website.  

This innovative camping environment helps limit those worries and provides a safe positive place for gay youths to just be themselves.  

Founded in the early nineties, the Triangle Foundation has been Michigan's dominant force for advocacy and change regarding LGBT issues in public policy, religion, business, education, and bias-crime victim assistance.  

In 2006, the focus began to include gay youths, and the Camping Out program was started to foster positive self esteem in LGBT teens. The camp gives gay and gay friendly 13-17 year old's the opportunity to learn about the gay community in a fun and friendly environment.  

Set in the woods of northern Michigan, campers will stay in cabins near the lake and will be able to explore the wonders of the wilderness. The camp is loaded with activities such as Swimming, kayaking, hiking and canoeing. There are volleyball courts, biking trails, and this year an Ultimate Frisbee tournament. There are sing-a-longs and skit shows, and all the other things that you totally want to do before you head off to school in the fall.  

Camp takes place August 14-19, and for five days, the kids will have the time of their lives. Registration costs a little over 500 dollars, but Varnum assures that no one will be turned away. There are scholarship funds set up for those who need help, so if you wanna donate to a worth cause, and you should, head over to www.campingout.org and give a gay teen the opportunity to have an incredible summer.  

Along with the fun activities, the camp is designed to educate kids about getting involved in the community and making a difference. There are group discussions that campers can choose to attend about working toward social equality for gay people. They also focus on creating great leadership skills and working with nonprofit organizations to help foster change.  

Registration is open until the first week in August so if you have a child who is interested or want to be a volunteer or sponsor, sign up now.  

I have to say I'm a little jealous of such an amazing opportunity, but I am also incensed with pride. Ten years ago, gay teens were considered somewhat outcasts by their fellow students and usually had to wait until they could go to bars to be able to socialize with their peers.  

The steps may be small, but it is good to know that there is a new sense of understanding toward the needs of gay youth. The more opportunities they get to be themselves in their youth, the more they will be instilled with self confidence and motivation to change and mold the landscape of the gay community and have a blast doing so!