The Advocacy Council for Human Rights

by Ryan Mishler

For one week this past July, I went to summer camp. Some may wonder why a 22-year-old college student would want to go to summer camp, but the camp I attended didn’t involve sing-alongs and s’mores. I went to Camp Pride, a summer leadership camp held at Vanderbilt University for LGBT and ally college students who want to make their campuses more welcoming for LGBT students, staff, and faculty.

During my time at Camp Pride, I had the opportunity to learn leadership skills and tactics from people who I have known and looked up to for years: peo- ple who are nationally-recognized lead- ers of the LGBT civil rights movement, including bisexual activist Robyn Ochs, Mara Keisling, the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality; transgender slam poet Kit Yan, and Shane Windmeyer, the Executive Director of Campus Pride.

Our goal at camp was to create a “Queer It Up!” action plan to somehow improve the lives and experiences of LGBT students, staff and/or faculty, and implement that plan on our individual campuses. Some of the plans created at the camp ranged from establishing an LGBT student organization to creating a student ally program.
My “Queer It Up!” action plan con- sists of getting gender-neutral restrooms implemented on the campus of Northern Illinois University. This plan is in its early stages, but I am determined and I know that I can make it a reality for me and my fellow NIU Huskies.

Camp Pride gave me the tools, the knowledge, and the confidence that I needed to work to- wards this goal.
From the amaz- ing faculty and staff to my fellow campers who lead their cam- puses with pride, Camp Pride was truly the greatest week of my life. I have never felt so inspired, so unconditionally ac- cepted, and so moti- vated. Do not doubt the commitment of
today’s young adults to LGBT equality. With organizations like Campus Pride and experiences like Camp Pride to help us along the way, there is absolutely noth- ing that can stop us.
If you or a student you know would like to attend Camp Pride, you can find more information about the camp at: www.campuspride.org/camppride.