The owners of a gay campground are standing by their decision to ban trans men from the site, despite a growing backlash against the decision.

Grizzly Pines, in Navasota, Texas, reiterated its policy on banning transgender men from the campground, in an online post on Monday (31 March), which was Trans Day of Visibility.

“This campground was created as a haven specifically for men who historically lacked spaces where they could express themselves openly without outside judgment, even from within the broader LGBTQ+ community,” the since-deleted post read, according to The Advocate.

“We’re not anti-trans, we’re just focused on preserving this unique sub-cultural dynamic.”

The clothing-optional campground’s mission was to “provide a safe, affirming and liberating space exclusively for cisgender men”, and it was “vital for guests to feel completely at ease physically and emotionally,” which included comfort with the “types of bodies, interactions and dynamics present”.

Following a backlash, reviews on the campsite’s Facebook page have been removed and a limit imposed on who can comment.

Texas bear groups condemn trans-exclusionary policy

However, its Instagram posts have been inundated with comments from people condemning its exclusion of trans men. On a post highlighting its Spring Fling 2025 event, in which Grizzly Pines claimed “even the straight boys wanna come,” users have condemned the venue.

“Gotta love the joke about straight guys coming but not queer men who are trans,” one user wrote. “Crazy to see a place so focused on preserving a safe space for gay men excluding gay trans men who also have difficulty finding a safe space. What a shame.”

A spokesman for The Houston Bears, a not-for-profit organisation for the Texan gay bear community, said they had severed ties with Grizzly Pines calling the ban “incompatible with our values”. A sold-out event scheduled at the campground, scheduled for next month, had been cancelled. Being “forced to tell some of our members, ‘not you’,” was not something organisers were prepared to do.

“We know it is very late in the process but we believe that it is never too late to do the right thing,” the spokesman said.

The RGV Bears also cancelled a summer camp event in solidarity with “our RGV Teddy Bear trans members”.

Gay Camping Friends founder John Anderson told The Advocate he was dismayed by the campground’s tone and timing.

“Their statement was passive-aggressive,” he claimed. “It had a lot of read-between-the-lines messaging.

“They said The Houston Bears had a ‘newfound support’ for trans people, and that sounded like mockery to me. There’s irony in saying you’re preserving a male experience while excluding trans men, who are men.”

PinkNews has contacted Grizzly Pines for comment.

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