The honest story of your Quamp team

Entering new social spaces can be intimidating. Just because we might identify as LGBTQIA+ doesn’t mean we’re automatically friends.

The good news is that our Quamp community connects over more than identity — we gather around shared values, a shared place, a shared program, and a shared mission.

We all believe that rest is radical here. But… who exactly is this “we”?

The five of us—Tegwen (they/none), Valerie (she/her), Erica (she/her), Megan (she/her), and an additional member (anonymous for privacy and safety)—didn’t start as one team.

We met recently through our day jobs — helping our sister organization, Camp Château, grow. Camp Château, an all-inclusive women’s summer camp, started in 2023 as a small family business with Tegwen (that’s me!) as the Camp Director. It was so much fun and even went viral, meaning it was time to grow the team.

Cut to- Valerie joining as a camp counselor! The following year, the camp kept picking up attention and decided to expand to a second location (L’Abbey-Château de Camon). I (Tegwen) shifted into a new Camp Experience Manager role, leaving a hole perfectly fit for Erica to fill as the new Camp Director at Château de Béduer!

During that time, the Camp Château online community opened, cue Megan (and our private member) joining the team to manage social media, content creation, press and more!

From one day to the next, queers manage to wiggle into all the corners of the company. It was time. We exchanged gentle knowing nods to confirm what has to happen next…
a queer takeover.

And here’s the truth: We only understand about half of each other's references, and we love it that way. We have different identities, lived experiences, and backgrounds, but we all share this something... this little sparkle that we know queer community members have, too. Is it honesty? Self-awareness? Silliness? Care for safety and transparency? Antifascism? Obscure references? A sprinkle of neurodivergence, perhaps? We’re not sure.

But what we do know is our shared determination to expand the camp experience to the beautiful brains and hearts in the LGBTQIA+ community. (This is where you come in!) And, lucky for us, the resources we have to share are two fully furnished, magical French châteaux and the skills to run a fabulous camp.

We’re beyond excited to welcome you through the door,
Tegwen
(they/none)