2023 Presenters
Christen Barnsfield
Christen is the parent of four wonderful daughters and granny to four grandchildren. She was born in England, raised in the US. She considers herself semi-retired, but with a background in mechanical engineering and management, there’s always something she needs to fix.
Christen knew from an early age that she was not like those around her. She conformed to society’s norms and constantly fought with her inner self. The internet changed everything. SHE WAS NOT ALONE. Christen states, “I’ve raised my kids to adulthood and now it’s time for me ….” She is looking forward to meeting old and welcoming new friends during this year’s Fair.
Christen is a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team
Kate B.
Kate is a transitioning trans woman, and she and her spouse of 27 years have two amazing grown children. This is Kate’s sixth fair – with 2020 being hilariously remote – and she is proud to serve as registrar and technical advisor on the TransWeek Committee. In the off season, Kate is a cyber security specialist and project manager. She hopes everyone has a wonderful time at TransWeek 2023.
Kate is a member of the TransWeek 2023 Planning Committee and a member of the ITEO Board of Directors.
Jan Brown
Jan is actively involved in the transgender community in NYS and Florida where she snowbirds. Jan co-founded a local TG support group in 2000, which ran for more than twenty yers. She gets out in her various communities (including retail therapy, dining out, and visiting places of interest). She has presented at various TG events including Fantasia Fair, IFGE, Southern Comfort, Be-All, First Event, Liberty, and Empire) and was part of the Fantasia Fair organizing committee for several years, focusing on programming and advertising.
Joey Colby
Joey Colby, a bigender individual, is pursuing two master’s degrees in Social Work and Community Health from separate universities. They actively work with transgender and LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults to help them affirm their gender identities. Currently, Joey serves as a graduate assistant at his university’s Gender and Sexuality Center. They are also a proud member of the non-profit organizations Standwithtrans and Reroot Pontiac.
Erin Daily
Erin has been coming to Provincetown since the 90s and has been a participant in FanFair since 2003. Ever since that first year, she knew she had found a home. She has worn many hats during this time, including taking many a meal ticket, writing for the daily newsletter, working in the office, directing the Follies, and being on the first-timers welcoming committee! Erin was awarded the Fantasia Fair award in 2013, in which she takes great pride. In her everyday life she is married to her wonderful wife Jenna and they share an amazing 16 year old daughter, Izzy!
Erin is a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team.
Dallas Denny
Dallas Denny, M.A. is renowned for her work on advocacy, policy issues, and health practices involving transgender people. She has taken leadership roles in many trans organizations and has made hundreds of presentations and keynote talks at universities, businesses, professional organizations, and conferences. She has written and edited four books, more than 25 textbook chapters, hundreds of articles, editorials, and columns for magazines and journals, and assorted booklets and pamphlets. She is former Editor-In-Chief of the journals Chrysalis and Transgender Tapestry and was founding executive director of the American Educational Gender Information Service, Inc (later Gender Education & Advocacy, Inc.). For her service, she has been honored with the major awards of the transgender community. See www.dallasdenny.com.
Dallas has played a role in the leadership of TransWeek since 1992. She is a member of the TransWeek 2023 Planning Committee and Chair of the ITEO Board of Directors.
Mason J. Dunn
Mason J. Dunn, JD, is the Director of Education and Research for the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and former Deputy Director of Education and Training Programs at the Fenway Institute. Mason is an educator and lawyer who brings over 15 years of LGBTQ+ advocacy experience to the Trans Week. Prior to joining Fenway, Mason was Executive Director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, where they successfully advocated for the advancement of nonbinary gender markers on Massachusetts state IDs, participated in the coalition to address restrictions in healthcare and gender marker changes on Massachusetts birth certificates, and worked to build the coalition which passed state-wide nondiscrimination protections in public accommodations for transgender and nonbinary people. In 2018, Mason co-chaired the historic Yes on 3 campaign, which successfully defended the Massachusetts’ trans-inclusive public accommodation nondiscrimination law, in the nation’s first ever state-wide vote on transgender rights. Mason is a board member of the Equality Federation, a member of the Massachusetts LGBTQ+ Youth Commission, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester.
Temperance Duwitt
As the 2015 Congeniality and 2017’s Co-Fantasia Fair awardee, Temperance’s has attended Fantasia Fair since 2013. A native Washingtonian, Temperance studied music at the University of Maryland, College Park, Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland, and studied Computer Science from the ITT Technical Institute. She resides in Milton, DE, but frequently travels to and from the Washington, D.C. area.
Temperance’s taste in attire could be classified at best to be eclectic, as, on more than one occasion, she has been observed dashing around Provincetown in some type of remarkable regalia. Her favorite type of dress is Victorian Gothic, particularly the magnificent and opulent ball gowns of the era; she is also partial to Civil War-era dresses.
Ezra Felliciano
Ezra s a Latinx man and has been a youth mentor since 2018. Ezra is a community organizer who is always ready to step up when his community needs him. His main goal in life is to help empower the next generation in becoming leaders.
Tony Ferraiolo
Tony Ferraiolo is the Director of Health Care Advocates International’s Youth and Family Program, whose mission is to provide a safe place for LGBTQ+ youth and their families to be supported and emphasizes that love, kindness, and diversity can empower youth to walk their truth and authentically live the lives they truly deserve.
He is also known as a compassionate and empowering Life Coach and a motivating and thought-provoking trainer. Since 2005 Tony has provided training to more than 75,000 people around the country. Tony has dedicated himself to both promoting competent and respectful health care for the transgender community, by educating providers, and to advocating on behalf of patients. He encompasses a unique ability to make light of a sometimes challenging situation which puts his audience at ease to fully participate in his training.
Tony is the subject of the award-winning documentary A Self-Made Man and the author of the book series Artistic Expressions of Transgender Youth. He also hosted the A&E miniseries Transitioning, were he coached three transgender young adults through social transition.
Tony is also the Co-Founder of the Jim Collins Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to transgender people for gender-confirming surgeries.
Angela Gardner
Angela is the 2023 Transgender Pioneer Award receipient. For a complete biography of Angela, please refer to the Pioneer Award section beginning on page 45 earlier in this guide.
Brad Gerow
Brad is the Head of Philanthropy and Development at Research Institute for Gender Therapeutics, a non-profit pharmaceutical company researching, developing, and seeking FDA approval for gender-affirming treatments. He is also a PharmD and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He came all this way from Los Angeles, CA, to share details on RIGT’s mission and to support the transgender community.
Kate Gilligan
Kate has been coming to FanFair/Transweek since 2016. She loves every minute of it. The first time the Fair was over and she had to drive home, her pink cloud burst and she cried she had to leave.
She participates in as many workshops and events as possible, wanting to get the full TransWeek experience. Kate has a soft spot for newcomers and appreciates the amount of courage it takes to come here the first time. She seeks them out and tries to make them feel more comfortable.
Kate is originally from Massachusetts but now lives in Virginia. She is active in two non-profits and seeks out newcomers there as well.
Kate is a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team.
Luke Greer
Luke Greer is originally from southern Mississippi and is a recent graduate from the University of South Alabama. He moved to Massachusetts in 2023 to begin an internship at Cape Cod National Seashore. In this position, he assists with youth volunteer coordination and outreach to underrepresented communities on Cape Cod. Before starting at CCNS, he completed a year-long internship at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. In his free time, Luke likes to ride horses, go to the gym, hike, and read. He is a first-time TransWeek attendee who is excited to connect with other transgender people.
Nick Greiner
This will be Nick’s sixth TransWeek; he attended his first Fair with his trans parent, Sibil. Nick was inspired by the organizers and fellow attendees and extremely honored to receive the Mr. Congeniality Award. He lives in Philadelphia where he is an out transman involved in his local LGBT community, including co-facilitating an open trans* group. He and his mom, Sibil, share their story in workshops and talks to promote visibility. He served proudly in the U.S. Coast Guard under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and vowed to never hide again after he was honorably discharged.
Sibil Greiner
Sibil Mae attended her first FF in 2016. Like a phoenix, she has risen from the ashes of alcoholism and personal tragedy to transition and live authentically. Sibil, along with her son Nick, have done parent/child transition workshops and more recently college talks before a class of future Occupational Therapists. You will find her to be an outgoing social butterfly who will welcome you with open arms and an open heart. As a recovering alcoholic, she is in service to help people with their addictions and to help others recognize their own potential in living an authentic life.
She is director for musicals at local community theaters, is active in professional organizations, and soloist and chorus member for decades. Recently retired.
Sibil is a member of the ITEO Board of Directors.
Elena Grey
Elena’s goal is to empower you in your life journey by aiding in accessing your innate wisdom, goodness, and wholeness – the light and love that you already are. Her number one priority is for each student to feel cherished and cared for, considering their individual needs and experience while exploring a variety of mind-body techniques.
Yoga has the power to completely transform our lives, fill us with love, light and open us to infinite possibilities. Elema experienced this blessing in her own life as she left the “high paying corporate world” and all the associated undergrad/graduate degrees behind to train as a yoga instructor. She studied with several prominent teachers and was exposed to many beautiful traditions, including Kundalini Yoga, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Meridian Yoga, Kali Ray TriYoga, and Yoga Therapy.
Elena is a Yoga and Mindfulness teacher, and a Yum Vo’otick Yoga instructor. She also is registered Teacher with Yoga Alliance RYT 200, Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra certified guide and a Yin Yoga certified instructor, YTT 300
Karen Jandreau
Karen first came to the Fair as a scholarship attendee in 2012. That was a very educational and informative trip for her. It gave her the chance to see full time Karen, an opportunity she has taken advantage of! This year will be her 10th Fair. She has helped in many positions at the Fair, from helping register people, to the morning newcomer’s coffee klatch, to taking tickets at the Follies. She also is a prior member of the Planning Committee. She has been awarded the Most Helpful Award, the Congeniality Award, and the Fantasia Fair Award. She is deeply honored to have been recognized with these awards! On a more personal note, Karen is a great aunt to four adorable children out in WMASS and has three grandchildren in San Diego. She has mentored teenagers within an International Drug Demand Reduction program, for 25 years. She is self employed as a medical specimens courier, contracted with the VA. Karen is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
Karen is a member of the ITEO Board of Directors and a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team.
Cherry Veronica Jaymes
Cherry is a black trans model, actor and drag queen. Having worked with big brands such as Google, Meta, Sony, Refinery 29, and Target; Cherry knows what it takes to represent yourself the best you can while staying true to who you are. Working as a freelance makeup artist between 2017-2020, her goal is to help everyone paint their face to highlight their best features. Cherry wants everyone’s inner beauty to be showcased on the outside.
Lauren Kong
Lauren is originally from the Midwest, but has spent most of her life in Georgia. She is married to a great guy and has been blessed with two kids. Her older child is part of the LGBTQ+ community, as are her parents.
Lauren attended her first FF in 2021 to support her parent, as she is a proud advocate and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. She fell in love with the attendees, the atmosphere, and the acceptance so much that she knew she wanted to return, join in, and help as much as possible.
Lauren was a member of the welcome committee in 2022 and is grateful to be a member of the TransWeek 2023 planning committee.
Abbe Kruger
Abbe graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, as the Articles Editor on Law Review, and practiced as a litigator in NYC. Thereafter, she developed and supervised various departments of a national legal search firm. She served on a variety of boards for nonprofits, including the Domestic Violence Service Center, Blind Association, Wyoming Seminary Parents Association, CASA, Jewish Community Center, and Temple Israel (founding its Social Action Program) before becoming the CEO of Justice Grown, PA and then its Director of National Retail Operations. Presently, Abbe is a Life Coach, facilitating online support groups for cis partners while obtaining her certification from the Life Coach School.
Dee LaValle
Dee LaValle grew up in Massachusetts and has been an attendee since she began her transition nine years ago. Dee was named the TransWeek Executive Director in 2018 and was honored to receive the Fantasia Fair Award in 2021. Dee works for an international multimedia corporation. Dee is a member of her company’s DEI task force and on the board of directors of its PRIDE business resource group. She has been honored to promote LGBTQIA+ awareness throughout her company. She and her spouse just celebrated their 30th anniversary and are proud parents to a 22-year-old daughter, an 18-year-old son, and a black cat who is always plotting Dee’s demise. Dee enjoys skiing with her children in the winter. Since her spouse despises snow, they enjoy traveling in months that are snow-free.
Dee is the TransWeek Executive Director.
Jolie LaValle
Jolie was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, home of the first department store Santa. She is a graduate of Wellesley College. She and her spouse Dee have been married for 30 years (the blink of an eye). Her spouse came out to her as a transwoman in 2015. Dee, their daughter (22) and son (18) love to ski. The kids are now both working in the ski industry and loving it. Jolie is not a fan of cold, snow, or heights, so occasionally plays lodge mom. She loves her backyard, the ocean, reading (all genres), knitting, British/Australian/ New Zealand crime dramas, genealogy (which sometimes entails exploring cemeteries), and true crime podcasts.
Jolie is a member of the TransWeek 2023 Planning Committee.
Davina Liffey
Davina has been a regular attendee at TransWeek since 2014 and has come to regard this week in Provincetown as an essential part of her life. When she first came to Ptown, she was only just emerging from the closet, but as the years went by, she felt empowered to let her femme side increasingly come out. Davina now lives full-time as her authentic self. She travels a long way to get to Ptown: either from the UK (she’s British, as is immediately apparent when she says anything) or from Brazil, where she also has a home. At TransWeek, she has been known to pose on a stage; she’s been seen on a bicycle, brazenly wearing a short skirt; and she is a noted night owl, except for that one occasion when too much booze led to loud snoring.
Davina is a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team.
Sgt. Carrie Lopes (Retired)
Carrie Lopes retired in May 2018 after 34 years of service with the Provincetown Police Department. She served as a patrol sergeant for 16 years and was the Civil Rights Officer and LGBT Liaison Officer with FanFair for 22 years. She also handled Domestic Violence, Elder Affairs, and Sex Offender Management for the department and served as a training officer for both full-time and seasonal personnel. Carrie is enjoying retirement with her family, getting projects completed (finally), traveling, and looking forward to continuing her relationship with the Fair.
Carrie is a member of the ITEO Board of Directors.
Jennifer
Jennifer’s first Fair was in 2019. She has been a planning committee member since 2021. Not being an out or transitioning transwoman, Jennifer has made the most of, and enjoyed immensely, attending trans gatherings for the past decade and being herself. In addition to the Fair, she’s made many appearances at First Event and more recently Keystone. Jennifer is looking to contribute any way she can to make this year’s FanFair a rousing success.
Jennifer is a member of the Fantasia Fair 2023 Planning Committee
Carole MacKenzie, LCSW, AASECT
Carole MacKenzie is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Hartford, CT. She focuses on service to the LGBTQI community and has for many years, working with trans and queer clients, gender-creative children, their families, and allies. She is an AASECT-certified sex therapist and supervisor. Carole, together with her little dog Virginia Woof, teaches Human Sexual Behavior in the psychology department at the University of Hartford, CT and is a member of Hartford PFLAG and WPATH.
Dan McKeon
Dan comes from upstate New York, where he shot his first photos with a black-and-white Polaroid Swinger camera back in 1967. Influenced by his Uncle Frank and his Aunt Mary, the family photographers, Dan spent much of his childhood making sure family events were memorialized on film. He moved to Provincetown in 2009, following retirement from his 35-year career with the New York State Office of Mental Health. In 2011 he became the Event Photographer for the Provincetown Business Guild and has worked with Provincetown Magazine since 2012. In 2011, he was Production Photographer for the independent film “Bear City 2,” the majority of which was filmed in Provincetown. His work has appeared on MSNBC and on NBC’s Today Show, and he has been awarded first prizes in several local photography contests. Additionally, Dan started a wedding photography business in 2012 and has expanded into real estate photography as well. He donates his services to local charitable organizations, including the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod and Helping Our Women. He also is the Event Photographer for the Pilgrim Monument, Crown & Anchor, and the Boatslip Resort, plus he’s a featured photographer for Cape Air’s magazine, Bird’s Eye View. For his long-standing service of supporting TransWeek, he was honored in 2022 with the TransWeek Friend of the Fair Award, which left him speechless.
Hera Navassardian
Hera Navassardian was born for fashion. As an only child, she was the sole beneficiary of her single mom’s impeccable sense of drama and beauty. She grew up watching her with much admiration—she was always creating something beautiful with her hands, especially when it came to applying makeup. I was fascinated by how she could change her looks on a daily basis. Destined for the style scene, Hera began her beauty career in New York City as a model for Bob Mackie, Geoffrey Beene, Zandra Rhodes, and many others. But she wasn’t just a pretty face; she created pretty faces as a makeup artist and stylist for leading brands like Chanel and Creed of London.
Hera’s greatest pleasure and fulfillment has always been to make people look and feel beautiful. She says, “I put my heart, soul, and experience into helping them achieve their dream look. It’s what I was made to do.”
Jersey Noah
Jersey Noah is transgender, autistic, and disabled organizer and content creator with a passion for creating accessible and easily digestible content backed by scientific research. Jersey has a background in social justice organizing and published his master’s degree from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.
Julie Nowak
Julie Nowak (she/they/xe) is a genderfluid “late bloomer” and the LGBTQIA+ Initiative Coordinator for Springwell/BayPath Elder Services, and part of the team creating OutstandingLife (the virtual rainbow community senior center of Massachusetts). She is always happy to help find info, support, resources, and social gatherings for older adults who identify as LGBTQIA+ community members as well as those who discover themselves Questioning or coming Out later in life. Julie works to create and connect spaces where rainbow elders can be their best and fullest authentic selves while enjoying conversations, creative games, webinars, luncheons, and more! Julie is also a long time support group facilitator for Greater Boston PFLAG, and a former Chapter Leader of Gay For Good Boston’s always-busy community of LGBTQIA+ and ally volunteers.
Maureen Osborne, Ph.D
Dr. Maureen Osborne is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of experience as a gender therapist in private practice working with transgender people and their families as they navigate the legal, emotional, and ethical challenges of gender dysphoria. Prior to retiring from her Pennsylvania practice and moving to Cape Cod, she also led a long-running therapy/ support group for transgender people called “Transquility,” and she has been leading an online support group for cisgender partners of transgender persons, “Cister Wives,” for almost a decade. Dr. Osborne was honored with Fellowship status in the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists for her work in community education about transgender issues, and received the “Friend of the Fair” award at Fantasia Fair 2015. She has given talks and workshops at many national and international gender conferences and continues to educate her local community since retiring from full-time practice. She appeared in the award-winning film, “Trans,” as well as the documentary “Just Gender.”
Aleksandar Sič
Aleksandar is a 27-year-old trans man and third year medical student from Serbia. He was publicly outed in Serbia and the Balkan region when he started transition in 2016. He finished high school in Novi Sad, Serbia, as one of the best students in the generation of 2014. He has been active human rights activist since 2016, especially in the field of transgender rights and visibility. He was the first transman on the cover of a serbian gay magazine Optimist. He is always looking to improve and connect with more people!
Tina Simmons
By day, she is a software engineer, but in her personal time she focuses on her family and playing the ukulele. To her, every time she attends the Fair is rather a unique experience, between the first-time attendees and seeing old friends. Tina has enjoyed helping to facilitate the morning meet and greet session in the past. If you see her, feel free to say hi!
Tina is a member of the ITEO Board of Directors and a TransWeek 2023 ambassador on the Welcome Team.
Sr. Alice
Sr. Alice is a cradle to grave Catholic who struggles with things like the recent episcopal embarrassment regarding transgender people and people in general. However, she refuses to give her ground and path, a path trod by many prophets—such as Dan Berrigan, Dorothy Day, Chardin, Matthew Fox, Joan Osborne, Patti Smith, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Some of them, like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Mary, and Joseph were not technically Catholic, but she has leaned upon them for support in her journey. She believes at this point that she is on the path of the Divine Androgyne.
Artina Subklew
Artina is an openly living transgenger Paramedic Supervisor and Instructor/coordinator for Southern Berkshire Ambulance in Great Barrington, Mass. She has a passion for helping trans-gender people understand how Emergency Medical Systems work and what trans people and their friends and family should know in the event of a medical emergency.
Cody Suzuki
“Ask not what your Gender can do for you—Ask what you can do for your Gender.” Hailing from Massachusetts, Cody Suzuki is a local MA/RI trans queer non-conforming spoken word artist. With passions in poetry, play, lyric, and story writing, his original works are educational, most in verse, and often humorous, delivering gender accepting messages to audiences of all ages. Supporting the trans* and non-conforming community everywhere, his wish is to educate, enlighten, and entertain with the same breath! A long-time TransWeek attendee and performer, Cody’s current projects include opening for the URI play Trans Views touring production, RI Pride Trans & Queer Slam, Southcoast Equality Pride, First Event, hosting workshops, spoken engagements, impromptu reads, or anywhere there’s an open mic! You are welcome to join Cody and Nick Greiner on the stage Wednesday night at the Common Threads Fashion Show, hear his words Thursday night at the Open Mic & Poetry Night, then see him perform Friday night at the Follies!
Liz Tattersall
Liz is a Transformational Life Coach who helps individuals who are uncertain and confused at a transition in life. As a Certified Dream Builder Coach, Liz helps them create a clear vision for what they want and the confidence to finally go after the abundant life they truly love living. A Registered Nurse by training with more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Liz brings her decades of training, mentoring and life experience to her Transformational Life Coaching business, helping people build their dreams, accelerate their results, and create richer, more fulfilling lives. Liz discovered her passion for serving the LGBTQ community when her transgendered sister came out and invited her to join the trans community of My Feminine Heart. Since then, Liz has returned each year to lead workshops at the Keystone, Erie, and First Event Conferences. She has also done virtual presentations for many other groups in the transgender community. As a sought-after life coach and professional speaker, Liz offers inspiring workshops as well as transformational in-depth coaching programs to help clients achieve new heights of success, fulfillment, and spiritual aliveness.
Austin Tyler
Austin Tyler is an eight year full-time resident of Provincetown who can often be found involved writing, producing, and appearing in a variety of bingo, comedy, and drag shows. Having worked with all types of Provincetown visitors and locals in both the hospitality and cannabis industries, he is all about a happy, healthy, and memorable time for everyone he meets. 2023 is his third year participating in TransWeek.
Rhonda Williams
How do you explain Rhonda in 150 words or less? She is a force. Rhonda is a spirited, energetic, passionate advocate and activist in the transgender community in the exceedingly backwards- galloping state of Arkansas. As a cis wife to a trans woman, Rhonda writes and blogs about transgender issues and is outspoken and active in her local LGBTQ community. Rhonda is also an engaging speaker and loves to entertain whenever a crowd gathers.
This is Rhonda’s 7th TransWeek, 6th to co-host Follies, and 5th year on the Committee as manager of social media and marketing. Rhonda is extremely proud of the work the Committee has done to make sure each
TransWeek is the best yet. Though she will most likely embarrass herself in some way, Rhonda hopes you will kindly overlook it and have a fabulous time!
Rhonda is a member of the Transgender Week 2023 Planning Committee.
Liz Winter
Liz Winter is a long-time Fair attendee who has been happy to be able to facilitate the Provincetown Fog workshop for the last decade. Perhaps best known for sleeping in after late nights and her odd sense of humor, Liz holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and is an LICSW. She has done extensive work with child protective services, domestic violence, sexual abuse victims, and group work in her professional career.
