The North Face supports LGBT camp where minors perform in drag

The North Face clothing brand company has donated to a summer camp that encourages kids as young as 12 to perform in drag shows and explore their “gender expression” through a clothing closet where they can experiment with their looks. 

Known as Camp Brave Trails, the overnight summer camp serves LGBT-identifying teens ages 12 to 17. The campgrounds are located in New York and California and boast of campers from all 50 states and other countries. 

In a Thursday X post, the nonprofit group Gays Against Groomers called for people to boycott The North Face over its sponsorship of Brave Trails, noting that the camp offers things like “Queer Therapy” to kids.

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Gays Against Groomers also claimed that The North Face had donated $100,000 to Camp Brave Trails, but it did not cite a source of this number. 

The North Face advertised in a June 2021 X post that it had donated over $70,000 of its Pride Collection to Camp Brave Trails. The company included a photo of the collection in the post, which featured several articles of clothing bearing the LGBT rainbow flag and the trans flag.

Camp Brave Trails and The North Face did not immediately respond to The Christian Post’s request for comment.

“Sadly this is far from the only ‘LGBTQ’ youth camp,” Gays Against Groomers tweeted in a follow-up post. “There are dozens around the country. They are on the rise.” 

The nonprofit provided a link to an article published in February on its website that warned parents about youth camps that present themselves as a “safe space” for children but, in reality, are teaching them to explore their sexuality. One example named was Camp Lilac, which reportedly offers “trans-centered activities.” 

On its website, Camp Brave Trails advertises standard summer camp activities, such as hiking, archery and stargazing, but with an “LGBTQ+ twist.” The summer camp also promises campers that they can “embark on a journey of self-discovery” as they learn more about the LGBT community through “exclusive” programs it claims campers will only find at a camp like Brave Trails. 

“This includes identity-based groups, captivating drag shows and workshops, enlightening queer history lessons, and a fantastic clothing closet where you can explore gender expression or experiment with a new look! All this and more awaits you at Camp Brave Trails,” the camp website states. 

The summer camp “bid farewell” to gender-segregated spaces and activities, as well as dress codes, to make it easier for campers to identify as the opposite sex. Brave Trails also says that it aims to help youth “explore their identities” while at camp. 

“As you stroll through the camp gates, greeted by a forest adorned in rainbows and the enthusiastic cheers of our unicorn staff, you immediately experience a sense of belonging like no other place on Earth,” Brave Trails promises. “This is just the beginning of what our campers often describe as their ‘favorite time of the year.'”

In August 2023, Brave Trails shared a video on YouTube highlighting one of its camp sessions for the year. At various points in the video, the young campers can be seen dressing up as the opposite sex and performing in drag. 

Another video posted to YouTube in 2020 included clips from Brave Trails’ “Backyard Drag Extravaganza,” which occurred virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured Pattie Gonia, a professional drag performer, and the campers also participated in an online drag performance.