On February 13th and 20th, Camp 181 will be holding focus groups to determine the future of their organization. After 23 years of filling a social niche for women, Camp 181 is unsure of their future role in the community, and whether they still have a place in it.

"The plan is to have two afternoons where focus groups will determine whether there are people in the community who want to continue with Camp 181 and what are their ideas.  If there are ideas, are there people willing to take it on. The challenge is also to get the word out and reach people. We have a left over committee from the last run willing to run the focus groups and see what happens," interim president Sandra Pfeifer told GayCalgary.com.

The organization started in 1981 as a social group for lesbians and gay men, but the focus has changed to a primarily female social group. In the early days, it was part of a vibrant yet virtually unknown gay scene.

"It was a very busy time. There were three or four bars and two or three social groups doing dances. During the height of the 80’s there was one every weekend, and Camp dances got 400+ people. It was mostly women but 10% were men. At the same time there were other groups and clubs as well. There were people going to a little bit of everything."

As the 80’s drew to a close and the 90’s dawned, there was a change in the gay community, and Camp 181 at times seemed lost in the shuffle.

"People weren’t drinking and partying like they used to, and there seemed to be a healthier focus. Dances really started to decline on the woman’s side and other groups sprung up that hold dances to this day. They are a lot more male [oriented] than Camp. Dance attendance started to go down, but the bigger problem became getting committee people, and that remains a problem to this day. There may have been enough audience and attendance but not enough people to run them. Consequently things were scaled back. I remember a time when Camp made their own food in the kitchen, and we would serve that. Those people got burned out, as did the bar people and the committee people, and Camp has become inactive a number of times over the past 15 years because there was nobody to run it. It would peter out until someone would grab the reigns and start all over again. It’s going in fits and starts which is a shame because it’s been around for 23 years."

Camp 181 has tried to shift its focus to other events but met only moderate success

"We’ve done activities like rafting from bowness park down to the zoo –  that was a lot of fun. We did that for four years. We’ve done hiking and outdoor activities, but it didn’t really take off like we’d hoped. Again the question is if people aren’t coming out for these events, what are they doing and where are they going?"

There is a belief among some that Lesbians have an entirely different social need than gay men. While Pfeifer believes there is some truth in that perception, she hopes that Camp 181 can help fill those needs, and wants to find out what the Lesbian community wants.

"I don’t know that we have the answer.  When people don’t come out it is hard to ask them why. Lesbians tend to be in more relationships and in a smaller social setting then men. Lesbians tend to be more the type to go to a movie or potluck with friends. If the dance isn’t what people want to do than maybe there is no need for them. So then the question is what is the void and where can Camp 181 fill in."

These are also different times than when the organization first began. In 2005, being gay is a lot more accepted and people are more open.

"It is definitely much easier to be gay and out. People used to sneak into the dances and not buy memberships because – heaven forbid – someone [might] find out. Now we get straight people coming into the dance and Lesbians bringing straight friends. It is so different, that is part of us becoming so integrated. We need events to help identify and connect us. That is what Camp 181 did for 23 years, it was the place. Bars and groups came and went but it was always there in one form or another. It would be a shame if that potential is lost. It may be a simple change in focus as the solution, new people or something we haven’t even thought of. The generation gap makes it difficult, and younger people may not be being targeted."

Camp 181’s last event was a dance on New Years 2003/2004. That was the proverbial straw that broke the camels back, but now that the committee has had time to refresh and regroup, they hope to find some answers.

"That event kind of cooked the rest of us, those are really long nights and a lot of us are getting older for doing this kind of thing. It can be hard to talk to a different generation with different ideals. It’s not a big deal to be young and gay anymore. Back when Camp started, we needed a community and a place to go and I don’t think that is nearly the case anymore. We have become so fully integrated in society that we can’t find each other anymore."

Now is the time for those interested to step up to the plate and not let the future of a valuable piece of Calgary’s gay community slip away. Pfeifer encourages people to come forward at the Focus Groups and suggest ideas and offer their services to help rebuild Camp 181’s legacy.

"I hope somebody will step forward and say they are interested and [that Camp 181] is not worth losing, in whatever form. It may be only a couple of events a year, or shifting focus to something different than dances. We need to have some community input saying whether or not there is a place for Camp 181 in the future. All we can hope for is that there is interest. If not it might be time to let sleeping dogs lie and let the other groups pick up some of the slack," she concluded.

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Contributor Jason Clevett |

Locale Calgary |

Topic | Community |