Despite hateful backlash, this Santa Cruz camp helped teenagers find their voice through drag performance.
. No amount of bad-faith criticism can strip the importance of that, Ryan says: “It is not just about survival. It is about us thriving.”
In 2005, the camp began including drag as part of its themed group dinners, encouraging campers to raid the costume closet and let their imaginations run wild. Over the years, drag night grew into a bigger fascination at camp, with more young people familiar with the art form . Drag dinner evolved into dinner and a drag show; buoyed by the response, YATC began inviting drag queens to teach campers about developing personas, honing a routine, and the meaning of “slay.”
“Drag is just a form of acting — it’s a creative, powerful, personal form of self-expression. It allows you to search inside yourself and explore aspects that you may be afraid to dig into. I often say that we’re hiding pieces of ourselves or pretending to be different things to different people,” Casi said. “But drag allows you to pinpoint something you love feeling and doing, and then exaggerate it. It’s a safe space to be overly confident, to be sassy and free.
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