Original subtitles

>> LaFonda: TONIGHT ON

"NEWSREADERS," GET THAT REMOTE

CONTROL OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.

AND SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT

THE GIANT NET CHINA IS BUILDING

ABOVE NORTH AMERICA?

ALL THAT AND MORE TONIGHT ON

"NEWSREADERS."

THERE IS A CRISIS IN OUR

SCHOOLS.

UNTIL RECENTLY, THIS PROBLEM

DID NOT HAVE A NAME, AND NOBODY

WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

NOW IT DOES HAVE A NAME, AND WE

DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

IT'S CALLED GAY BULLYING, AND

OUR OWN NARGE HEMINGWAY RECENTLY

VISITED A SUMMER CAMP THAT IS

DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

>> SLEEP-AWAY CAMP.

FOR MANY KIDS, IT MEANS A SUMMER

OF FRIENDSHIP, OUTDOOR FUN, AND

URINE-SOAKED SLEEPING BAGS, BUT

THIS CAMP IS DIFFERENT.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY GAY.

THIS INNOVATIVE CAMP WAS FOUNDED

BY MATT GRANGER, WHO WANTED TO

GIVE GAY KIDS A SPECIAL PLACE TO

GO.

>> AS A GAY TEEN, I WAS BULLIED

A LOT IN SCHOOL, AND SUMMER CAMP

WAS MY ONLY ESCAPE, AND I WANTED

TO SHARE THAT FEELING WITH

TODAY'S GAY YOUTH.

THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO OPEN A

SERIES OF SCHOOLS FOR GAY TEENS,

WHERE THEY COULD FEEL FREE TO

DRESS HOW THEY WANT AND TALK HOW

THEY WANT.

>> FLAMBOYANTLY?

>> RIGHT, EVEN CREATE THEIR OWN

CONCENTRATIONS.

>> WHAT'S CONCENTRATIONS?

>> IT'S LIKE A COLLEGE MAJOR BUT

FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

>> AH.

ALL GEARED TOWARDS BEING

THEMSELVES?

>> RIGHT, BUT THEN I REALIZED

SCHOOL WAS WHAT I WAS SPENDING

MY WHOLE GAY CHILDHOOD TRYING TO

ESCAPE.

AND THEN IT HIT ME -- CAMP.

>> AND MATT'S CONCENTRATIONS

CAMP WAS BORN.

LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE OF POLAND,

MAINE, GRANGER'S CAMP PROVIDES A

SUMMERTIME EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY

OTHER.

>> CAMP WAS REALLY THE ONLY

PLACE THAT I FELT COULD BE ALL

MINE, YOU KNOW?

AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO CALL

IT MINE CAMP.

I WANTED TO SHARE THAT FEELING

WITH EVERYONE.

>> AND FOR CAMPERS LIKE

BOBBY SWINTON, THE UNIQUE SUMMER

EXPERIENCE BEGINS BEFORE THEY

EVEN LEAVE HOME.

>> THE FIRST NIGHT WAS SO

AWESOME.

>> HEY, CAMPER, TIME TO START

THE BEST SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE.

>> YOU'RE GOING TO CAMP!

>> THE COUNSELORS COME TO YOUR

HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

TO BRING YOU TO CAMP SO BULLIES

CAN'T FOLLOW YOU.

>> WOW.

WERE YOU SCARED?

>> A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE DOG

BUDDIES MADE ME FEEL SAFE.

I FELT CHOSEN OR SOMETHING.

[ DOGS BARKING ]

BYE, DAD.

IT WAS LIKE HOGWARTS.

THEY EVEN HAVE A MAGICAL TRAIN.

>> * YOU TAKE ONE DOWN... *

>> THAT TRAIN RIDE WAS THE FIRST

TIME IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS

SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE

JUST LIKE ME.

>> MM.

>> MATT IS A GENIUS.

>> MINE CAMP IS COMMUNAL IN

NATURE.

SO, ON A CAMPER'S FIRST DAY,

THEY PERFORM A CEREMONY CALLED

THE LIBERATION.

COUNSELORS FREE THE CAMPERS FROM

ANYTHING WITH VALUE, LIKE

JEWELRY, CELLPHONES, AND

EXPENSIVE CLOTHING.

IT'S NOT ABOUT WHO HAS THE MOST

BLING.

BRITTNEY CHASSION HAS BEEN A

MINE CAMPER FOR THE PAST THREE

SUMMERS.

>> EVERYONE WEARS THE SAME

UNIFORM SO WE DON'T GET ALL HUNG

UP ON LOGOS AND LABELS.

WHO CARES?

IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S INSIDE THAT

COUNTS.

PLUS, UNIFORMS ARE, LIKE,

TOTALLY COMFORTABLE, LIKE

JAMMIES.

>> GRANGER'S CAMP IS A PLACE FOR

KIDS TO FORGET THEIR STRUGGLES.

AS FOR HIS OWN STRUGGLES,

GRANGER SAYS HE WILL NEVER

FORGET.

>> I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH I

HAD REALLY SUFFERED UNTIL MY

PARENTS SHOWED ME THIS.

IT'S MY JUNIOR-HIGH-SCHOOL

DIARY.

>> UM, THIS IS MAD LIBS.

>> YEAH, THEY ARE MAD AND SAD

AND CONFUSED, DEPRESSED, YOU

NAME IT.

>> "THERE ONCE WAS A YOUNG

PRINCE WHOSE NAME WAS 'EVERYBODY

IN SCHOOL ABUSES ME.'

HE LOVED TO 'TAUNT ME AND PUNCH

ME IN THE [BLEEP] AND PUT A

FETAL PIG IN MY GYM LOCKER' ALL

DAY.

ONE DAY, A

'FILLED-WITH-HATRED-AND-SPITE,

ABUSIVE JOCK' CAME TO VISIT THE

CASTLE.

THIS 'NONE OF THE TEACHERS OR

ADMINISTRATORS DO ANYTHING ABOUT

IT' BROUGHT AN 'NO ONE WILL HELP

ME, NO ONE' OF DIFFERENT TYPES

OF 'SOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO

DIE' WITH HIM TO SHARE."

WOW, POWERFUL STUFF.

STILL REALLY FEEL THAT, DON'T

YOU?

>> [ SIGHS ]

I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT IN A LONG

TIME.

>> YOU OKAY?

>> JUST GIVE ME A SEC.

I'M SO SORRY.

>> IT'S ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS GREAT FOR CAMERA.

>> [ CLEARS THROAT ]

>> AWAY FROM THE BULLIES, KIDS

AT GRANGER'S CAMP FILL THEIR

DAYS WITH FUN GAY ACTIVITIES,

LIKE THEATER AND DANCE.

>> EXTEND THE LEGS LIKE THIS,

OKAY?

HERE WE GO.

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT.

WHO'S HAVING FUN?

>> THERE SEEMS TO BE NO END TO

THE WAYS IN WHICH GRANGER HAS

FOUND TO MAKE THESE KIDS FEEL

SPECIAL.

>> THESE GOLD STARS ARE FOR

WINNERS.

EVERYONE'S A WINNER TODAY.

YOU ALL GET GOLD STARS.

NOW GO HIT THE SHOWERS.

>> I HAVE TO CALL YOU ON

SOMETHING, MATT.

>> OKAY.

>> THIS WHOLE THING -- YOU KNOW,

GOING DOOR TO DOOR TO PEOPLE'S

HOMES, SHIPPING KIDS IN TRAINS,

THE DRAB UNIFORMS -- YOU KNOW

WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE?

>> NO.

WHAT?

>> [ CHUCKLES ]

U.P.S.

>> [ LAUGHS ]

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT.

I MEAN, MAYBE WE SHOULD START

STAMPING TRACKING NUMBERS ON THE

KIDS.

BUT, LISTEN, IF YOU'RE SAYING

THAT WE GET OUR PACKAGES SAFELY

TO THEIR DESTINATIONS, THEN I

GUESS I'M GUILTY AS CHARGED.

>> OF COURSE, MINE CAMP ISN'T

ALL ABOUT FUN AND GAMES.

IT'S ALSO ABOUT HARD WORK.

>> YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, WE TRY

AND LEAVE THE CAMP BETTER THAN

WE FOUND IT.

WE'RE PUTTING IN A NEW WATER

MAIN.

>> ALL RIGHT, KIDS, TAKE FIVE.

>> YOU KNOW, THE DIGGING -- IT

BUILDS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

>> AND, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING

NOW?

>> OH, THEY'RE RESTING.

JUST TAKING A BREAK.

>> BUT EVEN IN GAY PARADISE,

THERE'S TROUBLE.

GRANGER'S CAMP HAS SOME VERY

VOCAL DETRACTORS.

>> THIS PLACE OUGHT TO BE SHUT

DOWN.

>> WHAT IS IT, EXACTLY, THAT

OFFENDS YOU?

>> HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT'S GOING ON

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT FENCE?

>> OH, YEAH.

YEAH, WE DID A WHOLE MONTAGE

ABOUT IT.

SOME REALLY, REALLY GREAT

DISSOLVES.

>> HAVE WE NOT LEARNED ANYTHING

FROM HISTORY?

>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

>> I GUESS MY KID'S NOT GAY

ENOUGH TO GO THERE.

>> OH.

IT'S REVERSE DISCRIMINATION.

>> EXACTLY.

WHAT DID HE EVER DO?

HE NEVER BULLIED ANYONE, AND NOW

I GOT TO SEND HIM TO SOME JEW

CAMP.

>> BUT THE CRITICISMS OF THE

OUTSIDE WORLD MEAN NOTHING TO

THESE GAY TEENS.

FOR THEM, IT'S ABOUT MEMORIES

AND FRIENDSHIPS THAT WILL LAST A

LIFETIME AND THE MAN WHO MADE IT

ALL POSSIBLE.

MATT GRANGER HAS HAD SUCH AN

IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES, SOME

CAMPERS EVEN SHAVED THEIR HEADS

IN TRIBUTE.

>> [ LAUGHS ]

I KNOW.

THE HEAD-SHAVING THING.

THE LONG STORY SHORT IS THEY

LIKE ME, AND I'M A BALD PERSON.

>> SOME OF THEM, I THINK, SEE

YOU AS A FATHER FIGURE.

>> I KNOW.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER THING.

THERE'S A WHOLE GROUP OF THEM

THAT CALL THE CAMP FATHERLAND.

>> WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL

TRIBUTE.

>> YEAH.

>> YOU REALLY WOULD MAKE A GREAT

FATHER.

>> [ CHUCKLES ]

I'M GAY.

>> OH, YEAH.

I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT ALL THE

GAY CRAP.

OH, MY GOD.

NARGE!

>> NO, NO, NO, NO.

[ BOTH LAUGHING ]

>> BUT LIKE ALL GREAT THINGS,

THE SUMMER, TOO, MUST COME TO AN

END.

PARENTS RETURN TO PICK UP THEIR

KIDS.

BOBBY'S HAVE BROUGHT A SURPRISE.

>> GRANDMA!

>> BOBBY, OH!

WHAT IS THIS, BOBBY?

WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?

>> IT'S A GOLD STAR, JUST FOR

BEING MYSELF.

>> AH!

>> AND LOOK, MY TRACKING NUMBER.

>> [ GASPS ]

BOBBY --

>> OH, MOM, MOM, I'M SO SORRY.

WE TOTALLY FORGOT.

>> WHAT? WHAT IS IT?

>> THE GOLD STAR, THE TRACKING

NUMBER, THE BROWN SHIRTS, THE

SHORTS...

YOUR NANA USED TO WORK AT U.P.S.

>> I HAD A BOSS.

HE MADE ME WORK ALL THROUGH

CHRISTMAS, THAT BASTARD.

>> OH, NANA, I'M SO SORRY.

>> THANK YOU, SWEETIE.

GOOD BOY.

>> IT'S LIKE A FURNACE OUT HERE.

LET'S GO COOL OFF.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE IS

INSPIRATIONAL, NO DOUBT, BUT

THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON,

AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYBODY

WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT.

THE TRAIN BOXCARS, THE NUMBERS,

THE HEAD SHAVING, DITCH DIGGING,

YELLOW STARS, CALLING THIS PLACE

MINE CAMP -- IT -- IT BEGS A

MAJOR QUESTION, AND I-I HAVE TO

ASK IT.

>> YES?

>> HOW DO YOU POSSIBLY HAVE THE

TIME FOR A PERSONAL LIFE?

>> [ LAUGHS ]

>> I MEAN...

>> IT'S NOT EASY, NARGE.

[ BOTH LAUGH ]

>> YOU ARE QUITE A MAN.

>> GAY.

>> [ SIGHS ]

SOME PEOPLE CHANGE.

>> [ CHUCKLES ]

NOT ME.

>> NO.

AS THE SUMMER DRAWS TO A CLOSE,

IT'S NOT JUST THE CAMPERS WHO

GROW WISTFUL.

>> IT ALWAYS BREAKS MY HEART TO

KNOW THAT THESE KIDS ARE GONNA

GO BACK TO FACING THE SAME

BULLIES FROM LAST YEAR.

ALL I COULD DO IS JUST KEEP

DOING WHAT I'M DOING FOR THESE

YOUNG KIDS.

YOU KNOW, AT LEAST UNTIL THERE'S

SOME SORT OF FINAL SOLUTION.

>> LaFonda: TONIGHT, SKIP REMING

HAS A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

>> DOES THIS LOOK INFECTED TO

YOU?

ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE --

THE PRODUCERS, THE CAMERAMAN,

THE SCRIPT GIRL -- THE CHESTY

ONE -- ALL THE MONKEYS WHO HANG

THESE LIGHTS FOR A LIVING --

THEY'RE ALL BEGGING ME TO GO SEE

A DOCTOR.

WELL, WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS

SKIP REMING DOESN'T GO TO THE

DOCTOR.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO

KNOW THIS BODY -- ME AND THE

FELLA WHO DUG A PUNJI STICK OUT

OF THE SMALL OF MY BACK FIVE

CLICKS NORTH OF THE

DULONG BRIDGE.

I PROMISE I'D NEVER FORGET THAT

GUY.

I KEEP A PICTURE OF HIM RIGHT

HERE IN MY WALLET.

HE IS ME.

TALK TO ANY DOCTOR, AND HE OR

SHE -- WELL, LET'S FACE IT,

PROBABLY HE -- WILL TELL YOU

THAT INFECTIONS UNTREATED BY

ANTIBIOTICS WILL SPREAD

THROUGHOUT YOUR BODY.

WELL, YOU CAN SAVE YOUR CHEATER

PILLS FOR THE NEXT COED OR PIANO

SALESMAN WHO COMES IN

COMPLAINING OF A YEAST

INFECTION.

THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION I NEED

COMES IN A BOTTLE MARKED

"WILLPOWER" THAT I KEEP IN AN

EVEN BIGGER BOTTLE LABELED

"SKIP REMING."

THANKS, DOC, BUT I'LL FIGHT MY

OWN BATTLES...

EVEN THE TINY ONES.

>> LaFonda: COMING UP NEXT WEEK,

WE'RE LIVING IN A POST-RACIAL

SOCIETY, BUT ARE WE

POST-DISCRIMINATION?

SO, YOU'RE A LIBRARIAN FIRST.

YOU JUST HAPPEN TO BE SEXY.

>> AND I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE

A LIBRARIAN.

I'M JUST -- I'M SO SICK OF BEING

OBJECTIFIED.

ALL DAY LONG, IT'S "THE DO-ME

DECIMAL SYSTEM" OR "THAT'S A

READER'S GUIDE TO PERIODICAL

LITERATURE I'D LIKE TO THUMB

THROUGH" OR "WHAT'S THE DUE

DATE?

OR HOW ABOUT YOU -- DO YOU

DATE?"

"WHY DON'T WE DIM THE LIGHTS AND

TURN THIS PUBLIC LIBRARY INTO A

PUBIC LIBRARY?"

>> LaFonda: [ GROANS ]

>> I KNOW.

OR "YOU SEEM REALLY GOOD AT

ACTIVATING LIBRARY CARDS."

>> LaFonda: RIGHT, IN THIS CASE,

"LIBRARY CARD" MEANING...

>> IS THE PENISES.

>> LaFonda: RIGHT, RIGHT.

"HOW MANY HOURS ARE YOU OPEN?"

>> OH!

SO, WE'RE OPEN MONDAY,

WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY, 10:00 TO

6:00, TUESDAYS --

OH.

YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ME, NOT

THE LIBRARY.

>> LaFonda: YEAH, I WAS TALKING

ABOUT YOUR LEGS.

>> GOT IT.

>> LaFonda: ALL THAT AND MORE

NEXT WEEK ON "NEWSREADERS."