A Boulder sex education camp for youth was canceled late last month following safety threats, sparking outcry from LGBTQ+ advocates who say the decision highlights growing hostility toward inclusive education.
The camp, to be hosted in July by Boulder Valley Health Center and CU Boulder’s Renée Crown Wellness Institute, was designed for fifth to eighth graders to learn about consent, bodily autonomy, and age-appropriate sexual health. It was also intended to provide LGBTQ+-inclusive education, an important resource for young people who may otherwise lack access to sexual health information that is affirming of diverse identities. In a joint statement, the organizers said:
“Due to safety concerns, the Sex Ed Summer Camp for 5th–8th graders has been cancelled. The camp aimed to provide age-appropriate sex education to prevent unwanted pregnancies and emphasize the importance of sexual health for overall well-being. Any extrapolation about the camp’s intentions is incorrect.”
National backlash to the program, including attention from far-right media figures, left many in the community reeling. Some expressed concern about what the cancellation signals for inclusive sexual health education.
Mardi Moore, CEO of Rocky Mountain Equality, said the cancellation reflects a disturbing national trend of politicizing inclusive resources.
“It’s disappointing that people opposed to age-appropriate sexual health education would go so far as to threaten organizers,” Moore said. “What are these people doing with their lives… monitoring how we teach young people about consent and how their bodies work?”
Moore also voiced concern about the broader implications of the backlash. She said it echoes national attacks against LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender youth, and risks further undermining essential health resources.
“We’ve failed generation after generation of people with sexual health because of these puritanical ways,” Moore said. “As a lesbian, our LGBTQ+ community never gets the information on sexual health… public schools won’t provide it in Colorado.”
She added that the framing of inclusive sex ed as “grooming” spreads misinformation with alarming speed. “The lies that are spread... are just on steroids these days.”
While many, including Moore, lamented the cancellation, it also garnered vocal support. National conservative media outlets and advocacy groups such as Libs of TikTok, Steve Bannon’s War Room, the Daily Caller, and Newsmax amplified criticism of the camp and called for its cancellation, fueling public backlash.
That backlash was visible in social media comments, where many users celebrated the decision to cancel the camp. On a Facebook post by the group “Moms for Liberty,” several community members praised the cancellation. “As a young father located in Boulder County… we do not need ‘sex ed boot camps’ for 5th–8th graders. If it was for adults, then who cares? But aiming it towards children is a problem,” one commenter wrote. Another called the decision “a win for parents everywhere,” reflecting the view that sex education for young children should fall under parental control. A third added, “This is an issue for parents to discuss or a pediatrician/family doctor. If parents can’t or won’t, then a family doctor would be the next best choice.”
One commenter acknowledged that although they would never sign their child up to attend a sex ed camp, they did not necessarily agree with cancelling the camp entirely. “Isn't it a summer camp offered through a community health center? When I was in sixth grade, they took all the girls in one room and all the boys in one room and gave us sex education,” they wrote. “So this is something that has been going on for many decades. If someone wants their child to go to this camp and learn this, why are you interfering with that?”
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) expressed concern about the impacts of such cancellations, emphasizing the need for accessible, evidence-based education.
“BCPH believes young people in Boulder County need accurate, comprehensive sex education to develop a safe, positive view of sexuality, build healthy relationships, and make informed decisions about their health,” the organization told the Longmont Leader.
They cited research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that while 59 percent of youth under 18 want contraceptive information from their parents, only 36 percent receive it. “This gap leaves many young people without a reliable source of accurate information,” the statement continued, “making it crucial that schools and communities provide evidence-based education.”
BCPH also highlighted the challenges of equitable access, particularly for students facing barriers related to parental support, primary language, transportation, technology, or identity. They stressed that community health surveys, such as the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, are critical for guiding responsive and inclusive programming.
“Misinformation and funding cuts can leave young people without a safety net and create confusion and inaccurate stereotypes,” BCPH said. “To avoid this outcome, educators, health professionals, and community leaders must provide youth with timely, accurate, and unbiased information.”
The department reaffirmed its commitment to youth wellness and inclusion, collaborating with partners to ensure that Boulder County’s young people “have the knowledge they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.”
While Moore said she was not surprised by the threats that led to the camp’s cancellation, she was disheartened by how quickly the organizers were forced to retreat.
“In these times, we either do it quietly... or we just stand boldly in it and hire security guards,” Moore said. “We think that we’ve taken a few steps forward, and in these current times, the reality is that we’ve taken leaps and bounds backwards.”
Despite the challenges, Moore expressed hope in young people and their ability to speak up and access accurate information.
“I have been so impressed by the young people who have come forward and spoken up,” she said. “There is good information out there, and people are getting comfortable enough with the tools to find it. If this world won’t allow us to gather and have conversations in person, then we need to make sure that the good parents share that information with their kiddos.”
She called on parents, educators, and community leaders to remain vigilant and courageous in defending comprehensive, inclusive sexual health education.
“We can’t backpedal out of fear,” Moore said. “We have to show courage and make sure inclusive, accurate information remains accessible.”
