E-mail: gaycamp@gaycamp.se
Adress: the GayCamp Association, Box 350, S-101 26 Stockholm, SWEDEN
The Meaning of Life or
The Significance of Moonlight-Swans…..
The first Swedish gay camp was arranged by the RFSL (The Swedish Federation for Gay and
Lesbian Rights), as early as 1983. It was at the same time as news of the new disease AIDS – the
gay plague – reached the Swedish mass media in full force. RFSL had already assumed the
responsibility of informing and organizing gays from all over the country to face the new
challenge and the camps concept was seen as a new and interesting method of working.
Tanum Municipality, located in the beautiful west coast archipelago, had been willing in the
beginning to rent out two youth hostels on the island of Valö. However, when they fully
understood that the prospective visitors to their precious little island were 50 homo- and bisexual
men, they were struck with an anxiety attack and tried time and again to make the whole project
disappear through prolonged negotiations. This was just one of the times
George Svèd of the RFSL HIV- secretariat won my respect, when he coolly asked municipal
officials if the really wanted their community to be portrayed in such a homophobic light if the
story were to make its way to the press. The local politicians finally yielded and the first ever
Swedish Gay Camp was launched. It can be mentioned that public hysteria concerning AIDS
was so great at the time, that after the camp was finished the locals burnt all the mattresses at the
youth hostel. They seriously believed that the mattresses might be a source of HIV infection!!!
The goal of informing and organizing resulted in a tremendously enjoyable but totally
regimented camp, both on Valön and for the next few camps that followed. Base-groups in the
morning, special subject groups in the afternoon, cultural entertainment groups in the evening
and at least two general camp-community meetings a day. So when we had time for all the inter-
groups meetings for various presentations I really don´t understand in hindsight. Probably we
were all so caught up in the ultra-democratic spirit of the times that we voted and wrote minutes
in our sleep.
Allow me to relate one other memory from that camp in 1983. One evening it was decided that
we, as usual divided into groups, would give another version of the “heterosexual indoctrination”
we all had been victims of throughout our lives. Each group was assigned a famous fairytale
which was to be performed in a gay version – and improvisation was welcome.
Imagine our own private beach and a dock covered with candles and seven nude gay men
breaking the calm surface of the water in a swimming performance of H.C.Andersen´s
“The Ugly Duckling” on a warm Swedish summer night. To this day I occasionally run into
some of these fellows in gay Stockholm and each time –even though it´s nearly 20 years later,
I still get a warm feeling whenever I see one of my moonlight-swans.
How things turned out
Already after the first year it was decided that the camp organisation should be separated and
independent from the RFSL parent organisation. So in the autumn of 1983 the forerunner of the
GayCamp Association (FGC) was started.
In the intervening years the camps have been held in various parts of Sweden, but mostly we
have stuck to the region surrounding greater Stockholm. The biggest change that has occurred is
a relaxation of the highly structured style and content.
The most important requirement when we are looking for a site is that it is isolated enough that
we can lead a completely private existence. For this same reason we take care of our own
cooking. To solve this practical consideration we have retained the concept of base-groups.
Every group consists of seven to eight guys and the only demand made on them is that each
group is responsible for preparing food for a 24 hour period. Time has also been set aside in the
mornings for base-group members to spend time with each other, which is often a comfort for
first-timers who may find one large group of 50 people a bit overwhelming.
Otherwise, my experience is that any possible tension or insecurity disappears already the first
morning. It is pretty difficult to put on airs with someone you are standing and brushing your
teeth with! Membership in a base-group has often meant significant long-term benefits. Many
friendships have started at camp and continued to grow for years afterward. Just consider my
moonlight-swans….
A holiday together is the key concept for contemporary camps. Our aim is to provide different
alternatives to create a broad range of activities. Canoes and rowing boats are always available,
as is a small bus for excursions. A private beach is indispensable and a sauna,
work-out equipment, board-games, puzzles, oil painting material and a massage course are
available. A TV and a stock of video-films, as well as a computer connected to the Internet
are just a few examples of things available every year.
At least a couple of interesting lectures are featured every year. Last summer at Gay Camp´99,
the newly, government-appointed Ombudsman for Gay and Lesbian Concerns, Hans Ytterberg,
talked about his work and Staffan Hallin from the RFSL HIV-secretariat, told about the latest
findings in HIV/AIDS research.
For many years now we have had a professional masseur who holds the course previously
mentioned. He accepts individual appointments from those interested the rest of the week.
The most important thing of all is that nothing is an absolute must anymore. If somebody just
wants to relax on the beach and enjoy the sun with a good book then he should be allowed to do
that, if it´s going to be a holiday by everybody´s definition.
The Important Part
But everything I have described above is just a framework. It´s the guys, the MEN
who make the camp! Meeting all of these exciting members of the male sex from every category,
age and professional background. The oldest participant we`ve had was over 80 years old and the
youngest 18, which is also the lower age limit. An upper limit has never been deemed necessary.
The average age would be around 30 – 35. Being able to discuss and compare conditions and
opportunities between young and old, urban and rural – indeed even between cultures – is
immensely rewarding.
Besides our own immigrants in Sweden, the last few years we have had the pleasure of receiving
many international guests from all four corners of the world: the Scandinavian countries, the
U.S., England, Italy, India, Holland etc. Our camps are starting to be known far and wide. In
order to accommodate the new situation some of the base-groups are English-speaking, but in
every case the individual volunteers for the type of group he wishes to participate in.
Well, I guess we are back to the base-groups again. And it´s just as well because they represent
the real heart of the camp visit. All of those life stories that one has had the honour of sharing.
It´s seldom in my life that I have laughed so hard – but just as seldom that I have been touched
so deeply by some of the discussions that have come up here. People who dare to open up and
talk to others, get close to others, in a way that I believe is without parallel in the rest of gay life.
Camp life involves to a large extent sharing each other´s everyday life for a week or ten days.
It´s far removed from the techno-music and special effects of the disco, even if we do sometimes
dance. It also means that the discussions are not held during an alcohol or drug- induced haze
and that´s probably one of the greatest reasons why people really do get closer to each other. But
of course there are also parties during the week because we believe all tastes should be
accommodated……
Speaking of Taste
I should add something here that has come to our attention in recent years and which has led to
that we´ve quit referring to ourselves as a camp for homosexual men and adopted the more
neutral(?) term Gay Camp. A relatively large number of bisexual men who have had the courage
to join the camp in recent years has prompted the change in terminology. And defining
bisexuality is not easy either. Is it being married just now or is it once having had relations both
with woman and men? “And who knows what the future will bring, it keeps you busy just
looking after your own business” as Swedish actress Ulla Skoog once said.
There were at any rate at the last camp 1999 eight fathers and twelve men either currently or
previously married. Spontaneous discussions came up with questions like “coming out to your
wife” or “telling your children about you as a gay person and what happens afterwards in the
father-child relationships”also what it feels like to be called a coward when you "don’t dare
make a stand or choose sides“ or being always forced to listen to comments like: bisexuality is
just another way of saying “homo-light”.
A list of other discussion topics that have come up would be lengthy – Aging and the Gay Man,
Living with Handicaps, Living with HIV or with someone who is, Iranians who don’t dare to
live as openly gay in Sweden for fear of reprisals to their families back home in Iran etc. But also
very positive topics like how to form networks, initiating seniors´ housing projects for elderly
gays, or how to succeed in relationships. I would dare to say that the camp is really Queer
Theory in practice. There´s a mixtures here of rich and poor, young and old, singles and couples,
immigrants and Swedes, Hiv+ and Hiv-, leather queens and drag queens, gay and bi, and all the
skin colours of the rainbow.
What to do
As I hope you will gather from the text I experience the gay camp as one of the true high points
of the year, and I´ve been to quite a few of them. We´ve coined a phrase for guys who have been
to more that three camps and that is “chronic cases”. That´s one epithet I bear with pride. Every
year between 15 – 20% of all participants fall into this category, which in real numbers is about
10-12 men. It´s quite common to skip a year now and then but in my case since I`m now
involved in the planning of the future camps it would feel strange not to participate.
Now it´s starting to sound like I do everything myself, but of course that´s not the case. The basis
for all of it is naturally the Gay Camp Association, where you can easily be a member and
receive ongoing information on everything that´s happening. All of this for the very modest price
of 100SEK or $10.US per year. Contact us if you want more membership information:
gaycamp@gaycamp.se
As your probably understand, arranging a camp requires funding. In order to be able to keep the
camp’s fees at a reasonable level (not more than 1900SEK or $400.US per person) we receive a
subsidy from various governmental agencies including those responsible for AIDS funding –
Stockholm County AIDS Preventive Program (Landstinget förebygger Aids) and the National
Institute of Public Health (Folkhälsoinstitutet), Sweden – as well as the the National Integration
Office (Integrationsverket).
This means that we can even greatly reduce fees for persons with financial problems brought on
by, for example, unemployment, those living on a disability pension, students and military
conscripts. All you have to do is contact us and make a special application. Because you do want
to come - don`t you? This is the millennium’s incomparably easiest and best way to meet new
friends and even perhaps that one special friend. I can at least guarantee that you will find your
very own small moonlight-swans to carry you through life’s darker moments. And just that is
part of the meaning of life…
All the best
Pär Råling
RFSL (The Swedish Federation for Gay and Lesbian Rights), http://www.rfsl.se
Folkhälsoinstitutet (The Swedish National Institute of Public Health), Sweden,
http://www.fhinst.se/
Landstinget förebygger Aids (Stockholm County AIDS Preventive Program)
Integrationsverket, (The Swedish National Integration Authority),
http://www.integrationsverket.se/
