YouthCO News: Camp Moomba for kids and Statement on Black Lives Matter Vancouver

Can you help YouthCO spread the word about Camp Moomba to youth and families in British Columbia? Youth from 6 – 17 who are living with HIV or who have a close family member living with HIV are welcome to join YouthCO for this free, confidential, week long summer camp on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Campers must be aware of their HIV status and/or the HIV status of their family member to attend. YouthCO, Oak Tree Clinic, and our partners, are available to help support families with disclosure. 

We have been doing a lot of work to indigenize Camp Moomba since this program joined our team officially last fall. This year, we will have Indigenous-led programming and an Elder present throughout camp.

Camper application forms are available now! These forms indicate camper(s) are interested in, and available to, attend summer camp, taking place from July 16 to July 21, agree to our camp community agreements, and are aware of the way HIV impacts their families. Application forms must be received by June 1, 2017. Applications and more information are available on YouthCO’s site

 

Statement on Black Lives Matter Vancouver

Over the past few months, YouthCO has been discussing how we can show our support for Black Lives Matter Vancouver (BLMV), and what we can do in response to the anti-Black racism that BLMV has drawn attention to within and beyond our LGBTQ+ communities. 

After much discussion, YouthCO has decided that for us, meaningfully supporting Black Lives Matter Vancouver looks like not participating in Vancouver Pride Society 2017 events at this time. 

As an organization that celebrates youth leadership and anti-oppression, we want to express our support for BLMV’s organizing to call attention to the ways Black people, and especially queer and trans Black youth, experience violence and exclusion in our city and LGBTQ+ communities. Read our full statement on youth leadership and Black Lives Matter Vancouver.   

BLMV has described a reality of anti-Blackness, racism, and violence that is experienced by many people on our staff and volunteer team, as well as youth who participate in our programs. For example, in the context of our HIV work, anti-Blackness results in disproportionate rates of HIV among African, Caribbean, and Black communities, and the excessive use of the criminal law in cases of HIV non-disclosure involving Black people. In our broader experience, we notice that many local institutions, including public schools and the police, consistently ignore requests to acknowledge and resolve racism experienced and described by Black youth. Further, police institutions too often over-police and under-protect many people in our communities, including Indigenous people and sex workers. Our decision not to participate in Vancouver Pride Society events in 2017 also reflects the reality that not all of our staff and volunteers will feel respected and safe at Pride if law enforcement is part of the celebrations.

We are proud of our decision to support Black Lives Matter Vancouver’s advocacy, organizing, and leadership focused on addressing anti-Black racism in Vancouver. We look forward to continuing our celebration of our LGBTQ+ people and communities, supporting Black Lives Matter Vancouver, and engaging with youth in our upcoming programs.