Color Splash Out is a pay-what-you-can summer camp in Texas that provides queer and trans youth with a rare safe environment where they can socialize and express themselves without fear of judgment. The camp is particularly important for young people from the Rio Grande Valley, a poor and majority Latino region, which lacks any queer youth organizations. Campers and adult volunteers describe the camp as an affirming and transformative space that offers community, mentorship, and opportunities for developing confidence and resilience. The camp operates largely as a grassroots mutual-aid project these days due to Federal funding cuts. Color Splash Out relies on donations, recycled supplies, volunteers, and support from progressive religious and other community leaders. Former campers can return as mentors once they turn 18, fostering an intergenerational network of support and community that spans beyond the camp. Considering Texas’s recent wave of anti-trans legislation, community projects like this are paramount.
An LGBTQ+ Youth Camp in…Texas?
