● About Us
Who We Are
Camp Lavender is a community-powered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates liberatory, joyful spaces for LGBTQ+ teens. Our work blends youth development, queer and trans education, abolitionist values, and the kind of camp magic that makes young people feel brave and held. We’re a fully volunteer-run organization led by queer and trans adults, many of us disabled, Indigenous, Latine, and longtime youth workers. Together, we bring decades of collective camp experience and a shared commitment to building the spaces we needed growing up: places rooted in care, creativity, and the belief that community can be a force for liberation.
● About Us
Our Values
Camp Lavender is rooted in the belief that queer and trans youth deserve more than inclusion. We don’t train young people to fit into systems that limit or erase them. Instead, we help them imagine beyond those systems and practice what shared power, collective care, and genuine autonomy can look like in a real community. We build safety through relationships rather than surveillance, and we treat joy, creativity, and queer weirdness as essential ingredients of survival, not extras.
Our approach is intersectional and materially grounded. We understand that every camper’s experience is shaped by race, gender, disability, class, immigration status, and access to care, so we design programs that honor that complexity rather than minimize it. This means our commitments extend beyond camp walls.
At its heart, Camp Lavender is a community that practices the world we want teens to inherit: one where youth are trusted and where queer and trans young people get to grow without shrinking.
● About Us
Our Commitments
we stand for the liberation of all oppressed peoples, including Palestinewe support undocumented youth and familieswe affirm Black liveswe fight for gender-affirming care across the lifespanwe defend reproductive freedomwe remain Covid-conscious because collective safety is part of collective careWe uplift artists and storytellers, protect young people’s creative agency, and refuse the use of generative AI in our programming and materials.● About Us
Leadership
Alex Houston
he/they
Leadership, focus on CIT and CampersAlex helps shape Camp Lavender’s youth programs and supports the CITs throughout their week at camp. He is passionate about creating spaces where queer and trans youth can lead with confidence, connect with community, and feel completely at home. During the year, they work in education and mentorship, supporting programs focused on inclusion and accessibility, and is completing his graduate studies to become a high school English teacher. They have several years of experience teaching and mentoring high school and college students, and spent three summers as a camp counselor. With a background in youth leadership and queer education, Alex believes that learning and joy go hand in hand, and that community care is one of the most powerful tools for growth. At camp, he guides the CIT program, leads workshops on identity and liberation, and makes sure every camper feels safe, seen, and celebrated, whether during a campfire singalong or a quiet moment under the trees. Their favorite part of camp is watching the CITs present their final projects, when all their creativity, leadership, and growth get to shine.
Lee Randolph
he/they
leadership, focus on programming
Lee is a longtime camper turned counselor with over four years of experience across three different summer camps. He grew up in camping and scouting programs and brings a lifelong love of the outdoors, teamwork, and community-building to everything they do. Lee has spent years working with and mentoring the queer and disabled community, and is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels they belong exactly as they are. At Camp Lavender, he’s known for their thoughtful leadership, steady sense of humor, and love for the world. He helps connect new campers and families to the community, supports staff behind the scenes, and they’re always ready to lend a hand or kind word when it’s needed most. Their favorite part of camp is the very first day, when new faces arrive, the forest starts to feel like home, and the magic of community starts to take shape!
Bug Fantham
they/them
leadership, focus on parentsBug is a lifelong counselor and camper that grew up with summer camps, outdoor retreats, hiking trips and scouting projects. They’re currently working to get their second bachelors - a B.Ed in Theater - while working as an elementary assistant teacher, and have a passion for justice and accessibility in school and recreational youth programs. Her first priority in the off-season and at camp is fostering creativity and authenticity. Their background in arts education academia shaped a connection-focused philosophy for her work with youth, and she can frequently be overheard talking about Augusto Boal and his Theater of the Oppressed minigames and pedagogy. Bug’s dream for campers is that they leave camp feeling inspired to make deeper, more meaningful connections within their community, and that they feel hopeful in times of trouble. Her favorite and least favorite part of camp share the same space: the last day, when goodbyes are said and phone-numbers are swapped and plans to hang out are made, when the sunshine-forged friendships flourish, and the staff all hug it out and cry about a job well done.
Sara Bocciardi
she/her
Leadership, focus on staffSara helps keep Camp Lavender running with steadiness, creativity, and a serious love of solving problems, usually before anyone else even notices them. She’s a software engineer with a sociology background, which means she brings both technical skill and a deep understanding of people to every part of camp life. She’s been a counselor at multiple summer camps and spent a year serving as a Camp Director, an experience she still keeps proudly under her sparkly belt. At Camp Lavender, Sara focuses on supporting the people who make camp possible: helping counselors and staff feel grounded, resourced, and cared for so they can show up fully for our campers. Whether she’s handling behind the scenes logistics, sharing a laugh with the team, or jumping into craft time, Sara helps create the joyful, connected environment that defines camp. Her favorite part of camp is craft time, especially making friendship bracelets and watching the tables fill with laughter, color, and creativity.
