Photo courtesy of Queer Campout
Mya Guiliani - Queer Campout
Mya Giuliani with Queer Campout t-shirts
Summer is coming up fast, and so is the next Queer Campout, a camping trip by queer folks, for queer folks. Since 2023, the annual outing invites community members to enjoy the great outdoors of Wisconsin for a weekend while raising money for gender affirming care. The next Queer Campout takes place July 18 through 20. A second Queer Campout trip comes three weeks after the first, August 8 through 10.
Queer Campout started when Logan Bitz needed to raise money for his gender-affirming surgery. Rather than simply going the crowdfunding route, Bitz wanted to get creative about it, being a lifelong avid camper.
“I had always wanted to have a summer camp,” he explains. Bitz planned the trip around cheap, fun activities while supplying much of the camping equipment himself. Mya Giuliani immediately wanted to get involved once they met Bitz through mutual friends.
“They just hit me up and said they wanted to screen print shirts for it,” Bitz recalls. “That was an easy yes.”
“I grew up up north and am generally outdoors-y, and I had camped recreationally with my friends for years,” Giuliani adds. “Mosquitoes and ticks are my old friends.”
Huge Success
Photo courtesy of Queer Campout
Swimming/Beach Time - Queer Campout
Beach time at Queer Campout
The first Queer Campout trip was a huge success. Many repeat attendees have since come on trips every year. Giuliani remembers, “I wasn’t stressed. I had so much fun.”
Activities throughout the weekend include tie-dying and printing shirts, night games, making pudgy pies, and going to the beach. Folks arrive at the campsite on Friday, and rules for the weekend are laid out. Bitz and Giuliani provide the meals, shirts, and tents throughout the weekend, and they assure that all planned activities are optional.
“It’s definitely self-driven,” Giuliani notes. “Everything is available to everyone; the only requirement is that you be nice.”
Drag Bingo
Beads are also distributed to everyone at the beginning, where every time one talks to a new person, they trade a bead with them. This year, Bitz has arranged drag bingo. “Last year we did an outdoor movie and that went over really well,” he says. “We might do that again this year.”
The trip concludes on Sunday with a mini awards ceremony. Whoever has the most beads by the end of the weekend, for example, wins a prize.
The campsite is an undisclosed location known only to campers. Folks interested in coming on a Queer Campout trip may fill out a form at transfolx.com/queer-camp-out. “Campership” options for reduced fees or free attendance, or for sleeping bags or sleep mats, are available to BIPOC and trans campers.
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Bitz caps each trip at 45 people, which he feels is a manageable group size where he can remain present while everyone also has the opportunity to meet new people. He mentions, “I don’t want anything big enough where if something happens, I can’t be where that is.”
Registration fees for past trips have gone toward gender affirming care for community members. Recipients for such funds may fill out an application, which is still currently open. “In the past, the person has always come to camp too,” Bitz mentions about recipients. “It’s cool that they’re there, and we’re going to try to continue that.”
This year, Queer Campout is being sponsored by Trans Medical Mutual Aid to help cover expenses. Queer Campout can be found at markets and community events throughout the year, getting folks signed up for trips while providing important information and resources regarding gender affirming care. They also have ceramic mugs designed by Giuliani for sale.
“Our friendships have continued on past camp, and that’s really special to see,” Giuliani affirms.
A few spots for both 2025 Queer Campout trips are still open. Non-camping events by Queer Campout such as movie nights and smaller outdoor outings have occurred throughout the year as well.
