Real Santa Hopefuls Go to School in Santa Camp Trailer: Kids Want 'Somebody Who Looks Like Them'

Does Santa always have to be a white guy with a beard? Absolutely not. That's the message at the heart of the new HBO Max documentary Santa Camp, releasing on Nov. 17.

In the trailer, which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering, scores of aspiring Santas, Mrs. Clauses and elves gather at the New England Santa Society's Santa Camp in New Hampshire to learn their Christmastime craft. And this year, organizers have another mission: tackling the lack of diversity in the industry.

"The issue we've run into is that people just have a very specific idea of what Santa should look like," Santa Dan Greenleaf, co-founder of the New England Santa Society, says in the trailer.

The solution? Bring in a "lot of new Santas."

Courtesy of HBO Max / Photographed by John Tully Mrs. Merry Claus Dianne, botton left, Santa Chris, who is Black, and others in training

In the trailer, viewers get a chance to meet an array of diverse Santas. There's Arkansas-based Santa Chris, who is Black; Santa Levi, who hails from Chicago, and is transgender; and Santa Fin, from Vermont, who has a disability, communicates with an iPad and is joined by his mother, Suki.

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"I want to show everyone I am a real Santa," Santa Fin says through his iPad with a smile on his face.

Adds his mother: "It's his dream."

Courtesy of HBO Max / Photographed by John Tully Santa Fin, who has a disability, and his mom, Suki

The trailer also shows a scene from Santa Chris' hometown, with a Confederate flag flying in the background.

"[These are] the people I live around," he says, pointing to the flag.

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Chris says he wants "to be able to be Black Santa for other families," which is why he's "going to be going up to New Hampshire to learn all the ins and outs."

Courtesy of HBO Max / Photographed by John Tully Trans Santa Levi, left, Dr. Claus Heidi and Black Santa Chris

Santa Levi is attending the camp with partner Heidi, a Mrs. Claus-to-be who says firmly before other campers: "I'm Doctor Claus, I am not the wife."

And another Mrs. Claus is equally defiant of the usual norms. During another scene, Mrs. Merry Claus Dianne declares: "I am not the warm-up act for Santa. Now it's my turn."

But not everyone is ready for change.

Courtesy of HBO Max / Photographed by John Tully Santa Camp

After graduation, at a church event filmed later in the year, the trailer shows several angry protestors gathered outside of an event billed as "Meet Trans Santa & Dr. Claus."

"This church is infected," a man tells the camera. Indoors, a church worker shares, "Our church has been getting emails, phone calls, typical hate messages."

But as Greenleaf says, "It doesn't matter. God created no junk. Whether they're gay, white, Jewish, Black, just doesn't matter."

Later he adds, "A child wants somebody who looks like them, what's the problem?"

Courtesy of HBO Max / Photographed by John Tully Santa Camp attendees

Santa Camp begins streaming on HBO Max on Nov. 17.