Rendezvous: a newcomer’s perspective

by Jeran Artery

Last year I was a “Rendezvous Virgin,” both nervous and excited. Being a Wyoming native I couldn’t wait to finally spend some time around people I could relate to, and when it was all said and done I vowed that I would never miss another Rendezvous – it was truly a life-changing experience.

I was at Pride in Denver this year, passing out Rendezvous flyers in the parade and also spending some time manning our booth in the park. The most common question I got was: “What kind of a camping trip is it?” My response: “Like anything in life, it’s what you make of it.” If you’re looking for a nice quiet and relaxing camping trip you can find it here. If you’re looking for a great party you can also find it here; and anything in between. We have old campers, young campers, men, women, families and a nice mix of the LGTB community along with a handful of our straight allies.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’m not much of a camper so I wondered if I would even fit in. Right away I had trouble setting up my tent, thinking to myself I can’t get this put together quickly I’m just going to throw it back in my car and go home. Luckily I almost immediately had help – a passerby came to my rescue and I ended up spending many wonderful hours with him and his friends laughing, telling stories and sharing good food and drink.

Speaking of food, I brought some of my own, but decided to mostly eat the meals that could be purchased at the main campsite. I thought they were very good! All the ingredients were fresh and a nice variety was offered. I met some campers that had brought all of their own food and were kind enough to invite me to one of their “dinner parties.” Keep in mind this is gay camping, so they weren’t grilling burgers and brats – it was more like bacon-wrapped shrimp on rosemary skewers. I had wonderful food the entire time I was there.

The entertainment was great last year, and should be even more impressive this year. This year’s entertainment lineup includes a talent show on Thursday, nationally known comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer is headlining Friday night, and Saturday’s performance will feature a drag troupe from Fort Collins. We also have hiking, workshops, volleyball, a fractured fairy tale, a film festival, country line dancing and so much more.

For me, the best part was making so many new friends. Some I’ve stayed in touch with over the last year and we’ve actually become very close, and some I’m excited to reconnect with.

So if you’re on the fence about attending or not attending, give it a shot, it might just change your life! ]

Rendezvous is Wyoming’s annual Pride event. This five-day campout party takes place from Aug. 8 through Aug. 12 in Medicine Bow National Forest, and features comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer. More info online at http://wyomingequality.org.

Jeran Artery is the chairman and lobbyist for Wyoming Equality, a Wyoming-based group that advocates for LGBT people in the state.
Jeran resides in Cheyenne.