Young camper standing happily next to a tree in the forest and the words "joy as power" in the title.How can we bring young people into a sense of belonging that’s rooted not in pressure or performance—but in joy and celebration?

We believe joy is more than a fleeting feeling. It’s a signal that you are safe. That you are seen. That you belong. And that’s where thriving starts.

And in June, as we celebrate Pride Month, we recommit to ensuring that every young person—especially those who are 2SLGBTQ+—experiences belonging and joy.

Joy as Power

Pride began not as a party, but as a protest. It was, and still is, an act of resistance against marginalization and erasure.

The poet and activist Audre Lorde wrote that joy is a source of power. It’s what keeps young people connected to who they are, even when systems and structures try to push them to conform or hide.

At Camp Fire, we believe in the importance of joy and that belonging is an essential need. That’s why we don’t just “welcome” 2SLGBTQ+ youth during Pride Month. We build spaces for them to lead, express, and be affirmed in who they are—every month of the year.

Here are examples from two affiliates:

· Specialty summer camps provide time away from social pressure and time with affirming peers. As one camper said, “Camp is the only place I feel like I can truly be myself.”

· Community partnerships expand access for affinity-based programs in after school and at camp. “Our programs are as different as the young people we’re serving,” said its program director. “We meet youth where they are, and that includes honoring every identity they bring.”

Campers sitting on a log acting silly.

How Camp Staff Champion Inclusion Year-Round

Many of our affiliate camps participate in communities of practice, focused on expanding access and inclusion through changes to policies and practices. In the Serving 2SLGBTQ+ Community of Practice, affiliate camp staff discuss challenges, changes, and solutions to better serve youth. This may look like new staff training modules, expanding access to private changing, adjusting dress code policies, and displaying safe symbols around camp. But most of all, our affiliates are sure that every young person and camp staff can self-identify and be included.

These changes also attract 2SLGBTQ+ staff, and their presence at camp has a profound effect on young people. One camper shared their reflection on seeing staff like them at camp: “I know that my parents were super worried about me growing up being part of a minority, and what would happen? And would I be in danger? But it shows that, like there are some aspects of people not being great, it can turn out fine. I mean my biggest thing for camp is I want to be a counselor this year. I'm doing leadership focus, so I can actually start on that path. I'm really excited for stuff like that.”

During Pride Month, we honor this kind of quiet leadership—the staff who make sure no camper has to wonder whether they’ll be accepted, or if their identity will be respected. Because that’s when real joy, and even leadership, becomes possible.

Beyond Camp: Leading Change in Communities

Camp Fire’s commitment to inclusive design has rippled far beyond the campfire. This year, School of Rock partnered with Camp Fire to train their staff on how to build more welcoming, inclusive spaces for youth of all identities. This Pride Month, that work is more relevant than ever.

We also celebrate the youth leading our Communities in Action affinity groups. Participating affiliates are committed to connecting 2SLGBTQ+ youth to themselves, others, and the outdoors year-round; they expand and launch new programs using proven methods that are possible even in hostile state environments, inside and outside of school settings. We aim to be part of a web of support for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, where Camp Fire provides safe spaces for youth to simply be themselves while connecting with partners who advocate for them and provide resources to their families. Safe spaces like this are critical for the path to thriving.

Kids carrying a box of dry goods.Creating Joyful Space for Identity Exploration

Camp Fire’s first-of-its-kind study, Space for Identity Exploration Through the Lens of Gender, emphasizes that the ability to explore and express one’s identity is vital to youth development. And when that exploration is met with joy, acceptance, and community, it becomes transformational.

As one Camp Fire alum put it, “It was the first time I felt like I didn’t have to explain myself. I could just be. And that was everything.”

That’s the power of Pride—making space for young people to become who they already are, with joy as their compass.

Pride, Belonging, and the Future

Pride Month reminds us of our shared responsibility to create a world where every young person can thrive. At Camp Fire, we do that not just with words, but with action—every program, every training, every summer.

Because belonging isn’t seasonal, it’s essential.

And when young people are free to feel joy in who they are, that joy becomes a form of liberation—a fire that lights the way for us all.