Colorado summer camp allowed to operate according to Christian beliefs

Camp IdRaHaJe on Wednesday reached an agreement with the state of Colorado in a lawsuit over a new state transgender policy. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood, or CDEC, in 2024 amended its regulations to require licensed camps to allow children to access bathrooms, dressing rooms, and sleeping facilities based on their so-called gender identity, rather than their biological sex. The department oversees licensing for resident camps and Camp IdRaHaJe claimed it rejected a request for an exemption from the rule, according to the lawsuit filed in May by Alliance Defending Freedom. In the settlement Wednesday, the camp agreed to drop its lawsuit while the state said it would grant the organization an exemption.

What has the state said? In a statement Tuesday, the state confirmed the settlement, saying the regulation in question did not apply to the Christian camp. The rules were based on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s rules to implement the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, according to the early childhood department. Those rules do not apply to places primarily used for religious purposes, like Camp IdRaHaJe. The state did not take any enforcement action against the camp, said CDEC Executive Director Lisa Roy.

What is the camp’s history? Camp IdRaHaJe is located in Bailey, Colorado, and opened in 1948. The camp derives its name from the hymn “I’d Rather Have Jesus” written in 1922 by Rhea F. Miller. IdRaHaJe offers week-long summer camps every year for children ages 6 to 17, and hosts retreats and outdoor education events throughout the year. The camp’s programming is based on the Bible and Christian values, according to IdRaHaJe’s website.

Dig deeper: Read Juliana Chan Erikson’s report about what will happen after the Supreme Court’s ruling on laws protecting children from transgender interventions.