For over a decade, parents of trans and nonbinary youth have asked me how to best prepare themselves (and their children) for summer camps.  How much do we need to say in advance? Do we need to say anything?  If so, to whom?  There is a lot to say on the topic but what I’ve seen be most successful is to ensure that the camp itself knows what to do and has the confidence to do it.  If the leadership and camp staff do not know how to address gender differences in a straightforward manner (and many of them don’t!), then it places gender diverse children in a vulnerable position.  Before you send your child to camp, consider interviewing the leadership and asking the following questions:

1. What is your policy on gender inclusivity for the children?  Do you clearly articulate those who are transgender and/or nonbinary?  Where can I see this policy?

2. Do you have rules or guidelines that spell out how you implement this policy?  Have you addressed the specific needs of trans children within your start-to-finish process including the application process, accommodations, camp activities, and behavioral expectations of leadership, staff, campers, and parents?

3. Have you had nonbinary and trans children at your camp before?  If so, what were some of the challenges you encountered?  Were these children private about their gender history or were they open about it?  How did you address the differing needs of these children?

4. How do you insure inclusivity with respect to cabins, bathrooms, swimming, and other activities?  How do you protect the privacy of your campers in these situations, as well? (for example, with respect to changing clothes).

5. How will you ensure the safety of my child with respect to his/her/their gender?  How do you insure that all gender identities are respected and that my child won’t be teased or bullied?  Can you provide me with examples?

6. Do you have a mission and/or inclusivity statement that specifically includes gender identity and gender expression?

7. What are the ways you clearly communicate your mission of inclusivity to parents and campers?

8. Uninformed parents of other children often feel some initial distress regarding the presence of transgender campers.  How do you address this in a way that protects both my child and our family’s privacy?

9. Do you have other families of trans/nonbinary children who would be willing to converse with me regarding their experience in your camp?

10. Has your full staff received gender diversity training?  If no, would you be willing to talk with the staff at Gender Diversity about the possibility of training?  (www.genderdiversity.org)