A Los Angeles-based youth camp will offer LGBTQ teens a unique and exciting way to celebrate this holiday season.
Camp Lightbulb, which promises participants a chance to “express themselves without hesitation in a fun, carefree environment,” will welcome queer youth between the ages of 14-18 for its first-ever “Winter Camp.” From Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, campers will reside at the HI Hostel in Santa Monica while enjoying visits to world-famous Los Angeles area attractions, including Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and possibly one of the city’s many theme parks. They’ll also partake in surfing, skateboarding and beach volleyball lessons, among other activities. (Watch a short video about the camp above.)
The camp, which launched in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 2012, was originally conceived as an annual summer camp for LGBTQ youth. In expanding its operations to a diverse city like Los Angeles, organizers hope to give campers “a bright picture of queer life,” Founding Director Puck Markham told The Huffington Post. In an effort to be as all-inclusive as possible, the camp will welcome youth regardless of family income, with approximately 40 percent of its participants attending on scholarship.
Noting that he “wanted to create a special place that is a stepping stone in life for the younger members of my community,” Markham added, “Now more than ever LGBTQ youth need a happy and safe space to be celebrated and be themselves.”
At a time when the LGBTQ community is facing an uncertain future, this really warms our hearts.
For more information on Camp Lightblub’s Winter Camp, head here.
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