What is the lodging practice for LGBT cadets?

CAP offers a safe, fun environment for all cadets and their adult leaders. Participation in CAP activities is always voluntary; nobody is ever "required" to participate. We do our best to work with families to make reasonable accommodations for their lodging requests when practical. Some key facts:

• We do not inquire about the sexual orientation or cadets or adult leaders.  Sexual orientation is not a factor in assigning lodging.

• We do not inquire about a cadet’s anatomy. Families declare their cadet’s gender when joining CAP by presenting school ID cards, birth certificates, letters from physicians, and other types of documentation. 

Our strategy is to balance two responsibilities: (1) provide an environment that is open to all eligible youth and (2) provide lodging arrangements where every participant feels safe and respected.

Sometimes those two principles seem to be in opposition, but we have found success through commonsense practices, such as

(1)  giving families advance notice of the lodging situation at the facility;

(2)  limiting the need for all persons to dress / undress / shower within sight of others and/or eliminating it altogether;

(3)  welcoming families’ special requests; and

(4)  admitting cadets to similar activities in nearby states if the local facility is unacceptable.