Conservative advocates express outrage over ‘perverted’ camp
The University of Colorado Boulder recently canceled its plans to host a “Sex Ed Summer Camp” in partnership with an abortion clinic for students in fifth through eighth grade due to safety concerns following conservative backlash.
The camp, which was set to take place this July, included topics such as “bodies beyond the binary,” “gender and sexuality,” and “consent and communication,” among others, according to the event description.
“This justice-rooted camp will help guide your young people in their curiosities and navigate their changing bodies and this changing world,” the description states.
The abortion clinic, called Boulder Valley Health Center, released an announcement about the cancelation, citing concerns about safety. It also stated that “[t]he camp aimed to provide age-appropriate sex education to prevent unwanted pregnancies and emphasize the importance of sexual health for overall well-being.”
“Any extrapolation about the camp’s intentions is incorrect,” it stated.
The College Fix reached out to CU Boulder and the abortion clinic to inquire about the nature of the safety concerns that led to the event’s cancellation. BVHC referred The Fix back to its original announcement in an automated reply.
The event drew significant “right-wing backlash,” garnering national attention, according to Boulder Reporting Lab.
“National conservative media outlets and advocacy groups — including Libs of TikTok, Steve Bannon’s War Room, the Daily Caller, Newsmax and Moms for Liberty — began calling for the camp’s closure … after it started circulating on social media,” the outlet reported.
“We’ve reached out to the Department of Government Efficiency and the DOJ. Children are not safe in Boulder, Colorado,” Newsmax host Todd Starnes said in a video posted on Instagram.
Conservative advocate Christine Yeargin and Students for Life of America also condemned the “perverted” camp in a joint post on Instagram.
“Anyone who desires to do ‘hands on’ sexual activities and talk about pleasuring oneself with children should be investigated,” they wrote in the caption accompanying a video.
“It’s unsurprising this is happening at an abortion facility as they love to push children toward sexual activity. And now that they’re providers for gender hormone therapy, they’re pushing that agenda too. Anything to make a buck off of manipulating other people’s children,” they wrote.
In the video, Yeargin points to the camp’s pre-registration form, which states campers will learn about “sex,” “sexy feelings,” “pleasure (in all sorts of ways),” and “self-love.”
The BVHC provides “reproductive and sexual health,” including “abortion care” and “gender affirming care.”
The center’s website states that it offers these “services to everyone, including all ages, genders, sexual orientations, physical attributes, immigration, or insurance status.”
It also offers “confidential” birth control and emergency contraception to minors, according to its Teen Clinic page. Further, 60 percent of its patients “are under the age of 25.”
MORE: University to offer gender, sexuality studies program from Catholic perspective
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Children wearing pride and trans flags; aliaksandrbarysenka/CanvaPro