Soapbox's Feminist Camp

A few years ago I signed up for a Tumblr account, but I had no idea what it was and I only registered because it seemed like the “right thing to do” if you’re into social media. Years later, I can affirm that the creation of my blogs on that platform and the subsequent community I became a part of has provided endless benefits to my life. One of those benefits was that I got to attend Soapbox’s Feminist Camp. The camp had been something I had followed for years, but was not able to attend due to financial constraints. Thanks to my followers on my Tumblr dedicated to feminism I got many nominations to attend Soapbox’s Feminist Camp for free, and was chosen. I got to meet so many great feminists there and created bonds with feminists from various walks of life.

The Soapbox team works hard to create a sense of community amongst the attendees. Even before the camp began I joined a group on Facebook that allowed all attendees to interact with and “pre-meet” each other; a space where we could converse with and learn from each other maintained a constant thread throughout the week. This made sharing the experience of visiting amazing organizations like the Ms. Foundation or Hollaback! all the more valuable.

The exposure to various feminist and social justice organizations during the camp was informative and useful, but what really stayed with me is the connections I had made with other people during the camp. As someone who has struggled for years to create and maintain connections with fun, smart, generally amazing people, I was able to find that and more during my week at Soapbox.

Since participating in the camp, there have been many times when I’ve encountered feminists online or in person who told me they, too, are Soapbox camp alums. Bonding with great feminists extended far beyond that one week, and I would encourage all the young feminists out there to check Soapbox out.