Camp Sister Spirit

Camp Sister Spirit was a feminist and lesbian retreat in Ovett, Mississippi, United States. It was established in 1993 by Brenda and Wanda Henson, a lesbian couple from Mississippi. The camp became defunct in or sometime prior to 2021. It attracted national media attention shortly after its establishment due to intense opposition from the local community.

Prior to opening the camp, the Hensons operated a nonprofit organization called Sister Spirit Inc. of Gulfport, Mississippi, which provided assistance to victims of abuse, disbursed food to the needy and sought to address issues regarding domestic violence and racism. In the early 1990s, the group sought to purchase a property to be used for holding workshops and coordinating outreach efforts. In July 1993, they purchased a 120-acre (49 ha) former pig farm in Ovett, a small community in Jones County, Mississippi.

Soon after the purchase of the property, the group faced community opposition, including from local Baptist pastors, who sought to remove the group from the community. Additionally, the property was subject to acts of vandalism, and the group members were harassed. In February 1994, United States Attorney General Janet Reno ordered federal mediators from the Community Relations Service to Ovett, though camp opponents refused to engage in mediation. Following this, camp opponents sued Reno, though their case was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge. Also in 1994, several neighbors of the camp filed a nuisance lawsuit against the organization, though they lost their case in the Mississippi Chancery Courts.

Ultimately, the camp survived community attempts to remove it and, by 2003, it had hosted 5,000 visitors from 12 different countries. However, by that time, Brenda had been diagnosed with cancer, which caused a decline in camp activities. Brenda died in 2008, and Wanda in 2025. By 2021, sources reported that the camp had closed.