Mission

TQAMP supports camps and youth-serving organizations (YSO) to be safer spaces of belonging for people of all genders and sexualities.

Vision

We envision a world that understands 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion and safety to be fundamental to child abuse prevention, anti-bullying protocol, and basic personnel policies. Not an add-on or footnote, but a core necessity for the efficacy of each. We have identified practical, trans-affirming minimum safety requirements for camps and youth-serving organizations which, when implemented and communicated effectively, make these spaces safer and more joyful for everyone. We know that widespread adoption of these frameworks and practices will significantly reduce rates of negative mental, emotional and social health outcomes for youth across race, class, gender identity and geographic location.

Our Team

Chris and Al met each other over 20 years ago as camp counselors in rural Kentucky. Across several camps over the years, they tried to heed their bosses’ thinly veiled warnings to ‘tone it down’ (which was code for: “act straight”). But it was impossible to know how to be ‘less queer’ without also being less magical...which was sad, confusing and ultimately led Al, Chris and Amy to leave camping. Fast forward–through two weddings, 4 births, and MANY camp jobs across MULTIPLE states. Chris, AL and Amy have yet to ‘tone it down’ and instead are turning it up–with TQAMP.

What we do…

At all levels, we educate our audiences to understand acute and systemic barriers to safety and inclusion faced by queer and trans* youth and staff and how they–from their unique spheres of influence– can increase the safety and belonging of everyone within their communities.

Our Programs

Industry Presence:

We present our best practices and curricula at conferences and gatherings and to accrediting organizations and associations. Annually we present to about 2,000 people at 8-10 different conferences and events.
We develop and distribute virtual toolkits to support the implementation of our best practices and curricula.
We advise and train hotlines, industry leadership and other subject matter experts on how to respond in crises and to hostility or attack in alignment with their values and our recommended best practices.
We run campaigns and initiatives (like our 2025 Anti-Bullying Campaign) to educate on the current needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and staff, build solidarity, and increase the visibility of values-aligned staff and organizations.

Supporting Individual Camps and Organizations:

We train direct service staff of camps and youth-serving organizations to respond in safe, affirming ways to actual scenarios they will encounter in their roles. Annually, we train over 3,000 camp staff at 30+ camps and orgs.
We provide cohort-style and 1:1 advising to camp leadership to support their development of 2SLGBTQIA+-affirming internal guidance and protocols.
We offer web-based courses and resources on our curricula

Building Affinity Spaces:

We provide in-person and virtual affinity and identity-focused educational spaces for:
- Trans* Camp Staff
- 2SLGBTQIA+ camp staff and Allies
- “Beginner” or “new-to-the-topic camp staff
- Corporate Associate or Employee Resource groups
We hold virtual webinars and affinity spaces commemorating events like Trans Day of Visibility and National Coming out Day.

Guiding Values

Empathy: We listen to understand and we show up visibly and authentically so that others may understand and listen. We believe that centering our humanity and the humanity of our audiences enables us to bridge divides that may otherwise stall progress toward safety and belonging.

Joy: We orient to joy and hope as essential to change and growth. We believe that humor and levity can be both tactics and outcomes in our approaches to training and education.

Presence & Curiosity: We prioritize being present over being perfect or ‘right.’ We believe that we must take time to notice before we act–and that sometimes noticing is the action to take. We go slow and commit to honoring the potential of each moment and relationship.

Action: We have a bias to action and only focus on ‘the problem’ as much as is necessary to identify solutions. We integrate– as we learn/notice, we also commit energy to becoming/transforming. Our recommendations follow the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals as they evolve over time.