We’re living in interesting times.
An easy example: the evolving concept of gender and its inclusion in a gay/lesbian alliance.
Originally, “gender” related to grammar. Then we were told it’s the same as “sex.” Then we were told it’s a societal construct. Then we were told it’s within us when we’re born.
And also:
T or F: you can abritrarily (and legally) change your gender identity in MA, even from day to day.
Answer: True. Per the AG's guidance letter from September 2016, you CAN – but are not required to – provide documentation or show that you hold a consistent gender identity. pic.twitter.com/5cDvTIpwqW
— MA Family Institute (@MAFamilyInst) November 3, 2018
Official Harvard Guide: Gender Can 'Change From Day to Day' @ffweekend https://t.co/vlZQtpheI8 pic.twitter.com/kiFvdYGuFn
— FoxNewsInsider (@FoxNewsInsider) April 22, 2017
Meanwhile, homosexuality — an absolute attraction to the same sex (as opposed to gender) — holds down the “L” and “G” in the same grouping amid which “T” defies the convention.
As society evolves, we’re working our way through:
‘Vagina’ is not gender-inclusive language, use ‘front hole’ instead. Healthline says, using the medical term ‘vagina’ is not gender-inclusive language, uses ‘front hole’ instead. “It’s imperative for safe sex guides to become more inclusive of LGBTQIA… https://t.co/UHwwr4FVy6
— popfn (@popfnfeed) September 17, 2018
Apropos, in Michigan recently, a clash of initials occurred.
Businessman Bryan Quinn had an idea: Open a gay camping area in the spring.
The co-owner of Camp Boomerang RV Park and Campground — in the city of Orleans, roughly 50 miles north of Lansing — posted to Facebook an explanation of the camp’s concept.
Biologically speaking, Bryan envisioned the vacation destination as exclusively male.
These days, what’s the best way to put that into words?
Last month, here’s what he composed:
Camp Boomerang is a private, membership-only RV park/campground that allows only “guys.” A “guy,” in terms of this discussion, is defined as a person with a penis, [who] presents himself as male and has a state-issued ID that says “male.”
Clear?
Bryan must’ve braced for a bit of backlash:
We understand this statement, unfortunately, may not make everyone happy, but feel it needs to be clarified.
He wished for the best:
It is our hope that everyone who visits Camp Boomerang enjoys a comfortable, safe, non-confrontational environment going forward.
“Being a ‘private membership only’ entity,” he wrote, “allows us the ability to build a like-minded atmosphere.”
And just in case he strikes you as a stickler:
We don’t mean for this to come off as a “like it or leave it” attitude, but we feel it’s necessary for everyone to know exactly what our vision is for Camp Boomerang.
As reported by the Advocate, not everyone was on board.
While some critics declared they definitely weren’t “like-minded” toward the policy, one nay-sayer inquired as to whether there would be “penis checks” at the entrance.
Bryan attempted an answer…give him room, folks:
We never said anything about “penis checks,” but let’s be real here…if we let [trans] men in, and they go naked at the pool, that’s when it’s obvious that there’s no penis. Sorry to put it bluntly. But if you don’t like the rules, quietly leave.
Fast-forward to a fallout.
From the Advocate:
Camp Boomerang reportedly lost several founding members over the “non-confrontational” policy. Following the backlash, the campground’s Facebook page has since been taken down, but outlets including Pride Source reported the record of the remarks.
Michael Champagne — who’d recently bought an RV and paid a rental space deposit to the camp — told Pride Source the penises-only precept was hateful:
“They are blatantly uneducated and arrogant and assuming of what it means to be a trans person. It is hate speech, period. It is discrimination, period. It’s all of those things that I don’t want to associate with.”
Transgender camper Santiago Moreno also lowered the boom on Boomerang:
“I think it’s garbage. There’s a huge reason many trans individuals feel they don’t belong within the LGBTQ movement. It’s because sexuality and gender identity are completely different. And still, in 2021, many gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals are transphobic and would never fight for our rights like we have theirs. It’s insane to me to know that even within our own circles we are still ostracized.”
The Advocate noted the peculiar predicament:
The controversy has shone a spotlight on the region’s campground LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The Michigan site CreekRidge is open to transgender men on the condition they present a valid ID with a male gender marker. Yet this policy is also viewed as exclusionary due to the reality that not all trans people go through this legal process; it’s also exclusionary against nonbinary campers.
In the midst of what the outlet called “Camp Boomerang’s bigotry,” an enterprising competitor took expert advantage of the situation.
Via a February 17th social media post, Michigan’s Saugatuck’s Campit Resort announced that it welcomes everyone:
Trans men are men.
Trans women are women.
All gender expressions are valid.
What genitalia you have is none of our business.
All who believe love is love and all humans are valid and deserving of love no matter where they fall on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum are welcome at Campit.
Love you and can’t wait to see you there in 2021.
Nicely done, Saugatuck.
Apparently, some members of the rainbow coalition had thought “LGBT” could stand for “Let’s Go Boomeranging Together.”
Sadly, that idea came back to bite ’em — evidently, “RV” stood for “Rejecting Vaginas.”
Hopefully, in the end, all front holes found a place to camp.
-ALEX
See more pieces from me:
Making History: Illinois City Becomes the First in America to Pay Reparations to Black Residents
Find all my RedState work here.
Thank you for reading! Please sound off in the Comments section below.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member