Camp Out

Today I'd like to share a clip from a very moving film I saw recently. It's called Camp Out and it tells the story of several lesbian and gay teenagers who come together in an environment that is affirming of both their faith and the gift of their sexuality. The ministry that made the camp possible is part of an outreach called The Naming Project, which seeks to help young people find peace with themselves and their faith with the goal of preventing teenage suicide - a very serious problem within the LGBT community.

Personally, I found this film very moving as it reminded me of my own journey toward self-acceptance and the amazing discovery I've made in my own life that it's okay to be who I am and still love and serve God in the process. Most of all I'm just so grateful that opportunities like this are now starting to appear for the next generation of LGBT youth. It took me so long to learn these lessons on my own and so it's incredibly heartening to know that young people now have the chance to begin building a life of faith in God and self-acceptance from an earlier age.

If you have a chance I encourage you to check this film out and to recommend it to others, especially anyone who may still be a bit skeptical about some of these questions. Just seeing and hearing the testimonies of these young people goes a long way to showing the immense potential there is within the LGBT community when we bring together our faith and our self-identities as one.

Peace,

Padre Chuck