By Sarah Holliday
The Washington Stand
Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has decided to put some of the state’s Department of Natural Resources funds — roughly $10,500 — toward funding the “Queer Unity, Environmental Education, and Recreation for Youth” (QUEERY) program. Facilitated by people who identify as transgender, host drag shows, and support LGBT activism among children, QUEERY takes kids ages 11 to 17 out to nature so they can “explore how queerness manifests in the natural world.”
According to the website, QUEERY “is a nature club for queer and questioning middle and high school youth.” This program is sponsored by Clean River Partners (CRP) and led by Heron Mahr who, according to The Daily Wire, describes herself as a “trans non-binary naturalist, youth educator, and community engagement professional” who uses “they/them” pronouns. CRP wrote in an Instagram post that QUEERY is supposed “to offer a safe space for young individuals in Northfield and Faribault to connect, learn outdoor skills, and explore the intersection of queerness and nature.”
The children do, in fact, learn outdoor skills, such as “trail navigation, plant identification, and paddling skills.” But in alignment with content posted on the group’s website, this is “to remind us that our understandings of the natural world will never be separated from our understanding of ourselves” — a framework CRP uses to build their programs. “This goes both ways,” the article continued. “If we want to live in a society accepting of queer people, we should accept that nature is fundamentally queer, too.”
The camp, which shows children “how queerness manifests in the natural world,” is not open to parents. CRP’s executive director Jennifer Tonko stated that “parents aren’t banned from attending the program, but it is meant to be a space for youth and it’s designed as such.” She then added that QUEERY is meant to “promote a sense of safety and belonging in the outdoors for queer and questioning youth.” The Washington Stand reached out to Mahr for comment on this matter and has not received an immediate response.
In contrast, Mahr shared with The Daily Wire that there will be “ample adult supervision, including myself, a Carleton student who is supporting the program, and occasional guest instructors.” This “supervision” involves a board member of a “student-run drag organization” at Carleton College, the outlet added.
Walz has long supported LGBT activism and used his position as governor to promote the controversial agenda. In fact, as Family Research Council’s David Closson told TWS, “Tim Walz’s advocacy for the LGBT cause goes back to the late 1990s when he served as the faculty advisor for what was then known as the Gay Straight Alliance.” Considering Walz’s long-standing support of the LGBT agenda, he added, “It is no surprise that Minnesota would direct state dollars to this type of camp. After all, Walz has been an ardent and unapologetic supporter of LGBT ideology for decades.” This support is showcased through the numerous pro-LGBT legislation that he has approved during his time as governor, including that which promotes sexually explicit books in schools.
Closson, who serves as the director of FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, argued that a camp like QUEERY is problematic by referencing Psalm 19:1, which states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Closson contended that “it is simply an inversion of reality to state that nature points to queerness — an ideology contrary to the creation order.”
“In my view,” he continued, “these so-called nature camps are nothing but dangerous indoctrination field trips that seek to brainwash vulnerable children into gender ideology. No parent in their right mind should consider sending their impressionable child to a camp where they will be indoctrinated and confused.” He further pointed out that “it should be a red flag for any parent when a camp says that parents are not welcome.”
Regardless of “what type of camp it is,” Closson added, “Christian parents know from Deuteronomy 6 that their primary purpose is to be the chief disciple makers in their home. My advice for parents dropping off their child at camp is this: if a camp director tells the parents they are not welcome to observe any of the programming of the camp, get your child out as quickly as possible.”
Closson went on to argue that Christians have a responsibility to pray “for any child subjected to the confusion represented by the curriculum of one of these camps.”
“The state of Minnesota has no business funding these camps,” Closson concluded. “While the Left likes to style itself as the defender of the separation of church and state, from my perspective, the state is clearly okay with funding the woke religion of LGBT activism.”
Originally published at The Washington Stand!
