Aerial shot of the Santa Cruz, CA mountains and the resort building. Hotel Chaminade, the site of the retreat.

Northern California has a rich history as the site of several early U.S. intersex groups and gatherings. interACT is proud to continue this history with a new summer youth retreat. The trip is 100% funded for all participants. We can’t wait to be with you!

Who: Up to 20 intersex youth ages 18-29 from across the U.S.,  with priority given to CA residents

What: A gathering to build community and share skills

When: Arrive Sunday, August 11th for programming Monday the 12th and Tuesday the 13th

Where: A retreat center in Santa Cruz, California

Why: To rest, play, and explore wellness topics together

If you have any questions not answered by this page, contact Scout and Hans at [email protected].

What to Expect

Time and space.  An opportunity to travel, see a new place, and build community.

Wellness. It means different things to everyone. Instead of assuming one definition, participants will inform programming in advance of arrival.  Some ideas include skill sharing, guided experiences with outside practitioners, time in nature, and living together for the weekend. 

Unique learning opportunities. While participants will inform final programming, sessions will center on relationship building, therapeutic experiences, and learning new skills. Daytime sessions will complement evening downtime. Sessions may include support mapping, body connection with a somatic practitioner, storytelling with boundaries, finding your place in a social change ecosystem, working with pride and shame, life drawing, and peer skill shares.

Connection. Strong relationships make strong movements. Learn from and with multiple generations of intersex community. We’ll leave with new tools to connect with our communities, ourselves, and each other.

Retreat Cost

Thanks to the generous support of California’s TGI Wellness Fund, all-inclusive attendance is 100% free for youth. Lodging, programming, group meals, and transportation, including rides from airports, are covered for all participants.

Accessibility Information and Community Agreements

We want you here! Our short application asks what each participant needs to feel cared for, and we will do our best to accommodate. Here are our baselines:

  • See the venue’s page for information about ramps, elevators, and wheelchair access.
  • We will help coordinate transportation from airports for wheelchair or mobility aid users.

  • Northern California weather tends to be mild, but fog and chills do happen.
  • Programming may include individual and communal sessions–feel free to step out at any time.
  • We ask that attendees not wear perfumes or heavily scented products.
  • Quiet spaces and stim toys provided.

COVID-19 remains a significant cause of death and long-term disability. The virus is airborne and spreads like cigarette smoke, especially in close indoor contact. Intersex people are often medically vulnerable, and have a higher incidence of disability. Community care matters. Because we want to keep each other healthy and welcome our community members who practice precautions, we are taking a multi-layered approach:

  • Cleaning the air
    • The venue’s HVAC system uses MERV 13 filters, and indoor meeting rooms contain personal-size air purifiers.
    • We will coordinate with the venue to request open windows.
    • All meals are provided through the venue’s restaurant, which offers outdoor seating.
    • Each person will stay in their own room.
  • Testing
    • We ask attendees to take a rapid antigen test 24 hours before traveling. We can arrange to help with costs.
    • We will inform attendees of transmission timelines and best practices for when to time testing.
    • Upon arrival, we will test each attendee with a Metrix PCR test.
  • Masking
    • We will provide N95 masks.
    • We ask attendees to mask during air travel and on their way to the gathering.
    • We ask attendees to mask in shared indoor programming spaces.
    • Masking is welcomed in outdoor spaces, per comfort levels.
    • We encourage participants who choose to unmask indoors together outside of programming spaces to discuss shared risks and comfort levels.
    • There will be other groups staying at the venue.
  • Planning ahead for if there is an exposure
    • Please notify staff ASAP if you experience symptoms the week before arrival.
    • In the event of an exposure while together, we will coordinate with affected participants.

  • We will arrange snacks that cater to all dietary needs.
  • We will work with the hotel’s kitchen once participants report dietary needs.

  • We ask that shared programmatic and living spaces remain alcohol free.
  • If participants ages 21+ choose to leave group spaces on their own time, they are free to explore with the expectation of consideration and respect for others upon return.

  • Strong relationships make strong movements. That means with ourselves, and with each other.
  • We have a responsibility to consider marginalization, both at large and within intersex communities:
    • anti-Blackness, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-fatness and other barriers do not affect us all equally.
    • We each carry different past experiences of wellness spaces.
  • To reflect this, we aim to foster a safe(r) retreat space that acknowledges:
    • “Wellness” is subjective and co-created.
    • “Wellness” can be a loaded word, based on co-optation and past experiences.
    • Programming must be based on participants’ needs and input.
    • We all have gifts to offer.
    • We must care for each other across differences of gender, race, religion, ability, background, and more–and to do so requires work.
  • Participants agree to a code of conduct and anti-harassment policy detailed in the application form
    • Harm and mistakes are parts of life, though we will design community agreements as a group to help us feel safer.
    • In the event of conflict, staff facilitators are available to hear participants’ concerns and create a resolution process together.

Process and Timeline

We hope to have room for everyone! In the event that there are more than 20 applicants, applications will be reviewed by interACT’s staff and retreat planners, and spots will be offered on the basis of:

  1. California residency: Participation by residents is a priority, but CA residency is NOT a requirement.
  2. Group composition: We want to welcome folks across a broad range of ages and backgrounds. 
  3. Answers to short essay questions: Let us know what attendance means to you.

Here’s what to expect:

  • June 3: Applications OPEN
  • June 21: Application deadline
  • July 1: Accepted applicants notified
  • July 11: Deadline for applicants to confirm spots before waitlist notified
  • July 15: Programming feedback surveys sent to participants
  • July 21: We work with participants to purchase flights
  • August 1: Final programming schedule announced
  • August 7: Digital meet and greet opportunity
  • August 11-14th: We come together!

Author

  • Maddie Moran is an intersex, queer and non-binary person living in Philadelphia. Maddie joined interACT as a Youth advocate in 2019, giving talks about their own medical history to advocate for bodily autonomy and respect for intersex variations. You can find their writing in Teen Vogue on intersex surgery and dating as well as a personal essay they wrote for interACT’s blog about having MRKH. Maddie comes to interACT with a history of justice-oriented work, most recently for people who are currently incarcerated.

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