We think this young man named Alex just might be going places. Still in elementary school, Alex wrote and performed a rap about coming out to his mother and transgender at Camp Aranu’tiq for the staff and campers. He shows incredible poise and confidence in himself and his gender. And clearly he has a message to share with anyone willing to listen.
If you aren’t familiar, Camp Aranu’tiq is a camp for transgender and gender-variant youth. Founded in 2009, the camp sought to fill the need for these children that might not be accepted at traditional camps. The rap was part of their yearly talent show performance to showcase the unique talents and gifts of it’s campers. From their website:
Aranu’tiq was founded in 2009 by Nick Teich, who dreamed of a safe & fun place for youth who felt like they might not fit in at other camps because of their gender and/or who wanted to be with others like them. We launched our first summer week in New England in 2010 with 41 campers. We now have our very own camp in New Hampshire! We have our flagship summer camps in NH & CA as well as leadership programs for older teens and weekend family camps, serving 400 campers over the course of one year.
We’re absolutely in love with this kid. Check out the video to see the rap or read the lyrics below.
So I had a little story I’d like to share / about something I went through that might seem pretty weird / Please try and imagine if this was you / or you might have something that you can relate it to / So I was just a little kid about 7 or 8 / and I had something to say that could no longer wait / So I went to my mom that hot day in July / with a hope in my heart and a tear in my eye / Basically I said this girl is your son / and I’ve always felt this way and it hasn’t been fun / We sat there together for a little while / I thought she was sad but then I saw her smile / She told me I was brave and that she was so proud / that I came to her so she could help me sort things out. My family and friends / were also on board / and the support that I got / just had me floored / And from that day on / I started my path / and we worked together / and even faced some wrath / Together we can weather / whatever this life brings / and we’ll continue to love / and I’ll continue to sing / And I know that there are other kids / who feel like I do / and I truly understand / what they are going through / Thank you all for sitting here / and taking the time / to let me tell my message / in the form of a rhyme / Please treat everyone / the way you expect / we all deserve freedom, love and respect.
