Descriptions of Events

From his perspective as a transgender rights litigator for the past thirty years, Shannon will talk about the enormous progress made in securing social and legal protections in the past, the setbacks and dangers we face in the present, and the great promise and perils of the future.

2024 Workshops & Events

(Listed Alphabetically by Event Title)

4th Annual Comic Bingo Festival
Austin Tyler and Carrie Lopes
The Comic Bingo Festival, as the name implies! Prepare yourself for a night of laughs, fun, and community with your fellow attendees. When you enter, you’ll be given a book of bingo cards and you can pick your favorite colored dauber. Winners of each game will be entered into a drawing for the prizes. Bingo, you say? And a comedy show? is that true? It’s both! This spectacular event will also be the annual scholarship fundraiser. Baskets will be passed, with every dollar donated going towards bringing people to TransWeek who otherwise would not have the means to attend. Your support is greatly appreciated! There will be a cash bar available. More information on this event can be found earlier in this guide on page 29.

For more information, please see the Comic Bingo page.

Workshop:
A Constellation of Movable Closets: 20th-Century Trans Feminine Social Worlds
Chris Aino Pihlak
From Toronto to Cape Town, New York to Auckland, and Los Angeles to London, trans femmes found each other. From countless ramshackle printers, mimeograph machines, and computers to secret PO boxes, forwarding addresses, and adult bookstores, trans femmes spoke with each other. From locked motel rooms, disused campgrounds, and crowded living rooms, trans femmes built community together. Right now, you are in one of this network’s most enduring get-togethers. From 1975, Fantasia Fair, now known as TransWeek, was the crown jewel of this subculture’s robust social calendar. But there was not just one gem in this tiara. Join historian Chris Aino Pihlak for her talk on the subcultural world that Fantasia Fair was part of.

Workshop:
A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States (SUNY Press, February 2025)
Carolyn Wolf-Gould, Dallas Denny, and Jamison Green
When physician Carolyn Wolf-Gould saw a presentation on the history of transgender surgeries at a trans conference in 2015, she asked the presenter, Dallas Denny, if she would be interested in collaborating on a book about the history of transgender medicine. Dallas said yes, and so began a nearly ten-year project that has resulted in the monumental A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margin to Mainstream, which will be published in February 2025 by SUNY Press. Drs. Kyan Lynch and Jamison Green soon joined the project. Weekly meetings, lots of writing, lots of editing, lots of correspondence with more than 30 contributors over the course of a decade has finally come to an end. Our reviewers are enthusiastic, and so are we! Carolyn, Dallas, and Jamison will talk about the many things we learned about ourselves and about transgender people in producing this work.

Workshop:
A Laywoman’s Guide to Wigs
Sirena Rivera
Do you wear “helper hair” as a part of your gender presentation and have questions? Are you new to the world of wigs and don’t know what to do? Do you wear wigs just for the fun of it? Wearing the right wig/hairpiece will make or break your external appearance. As someone who is not a hair care professional but has worn wigs for years, there will be many tips at your disposal as well as advice finding your ideal wig/hairpiece. Don’t get lost in all the options out there. Come learn to find the best tresses you can afford!

Workshop:
Adult Children of Trans-persons
Niela Miller and Lauren Kong
Join us for an intimate conversation co-led by Lauren Kong, adult child of trans parents, and Niela Miller, educator and counselor to the trans community for many years. We will explore the complexities and joys of having and/or being a trans parent. We want this session to be inclusive and have the perspective of trans parents with adult children as well as adult children with trans parents! The conversation will be fueled by Niela’s questions and excerpts chosen by Lauren from an account written by a colleague of Niela’s who is the adult son of a trans parent. The session will take place both in person and via Zoom, allowing participants to engage from anywhere.

AFTER HOURS at TransWeek
It has been said that the late-night activities are the heart and soul of TransWeek!

After Hours during TransWeek is a special time for attendees to meet after the conclusion of scheduled activities to socialize, chat, have a beverage or two, and have some laughs!

Enjoy After Hours! Expect to see TransWeek organizers and staff, first-timers, For more detailed information about locations and hours, please see AFTER HOURS on page 27 earlier in this guide.

Workshop:
Are Indigenous American Two Spirits Transgender?
Taryn Gundling
Among some of the indigenous cultures encountered by European settler colonists beginning in the 16th century there were individuals who defied simple binary categorization into women and men. This presentation reviews several historical examples of how such individuals were interpreted through a European cultural lens, using available language of the time. Over the last century, as anthropology became established as an academic discipline, researchers engaged in “salvage ethnography” to preserve what they could of rapidly disappearing cultural groups. Among their incidental findings was that indigenous groups had names for such people, who were not marginalized but rather held well defined social roles. With the rapid increase in visibility of transgender people beginning in the 1990s throughout Western Europe and the Americas, the temptation to include indigenous two-spirits, itself a neologism, under the trans umbrella took root. Lumping disparate gender expressions into a single lexical category continues the ethnocentric tradition of imposing exonyms, and by extension their cultural context, onto others, further erasing indigenous cultural practices.

COMMON THREADS Fashion SHOW!
Cody Suzuki & Nick Greiner
From humble beginnings 50 years ago to envisioning our future, how fitting for this year’s theme: Celebrating Five Decades of Fashion!
From the the fashions, styles, and icons of the 70s all the way to present-day trends, there’s plenty to hoose from. That’s 50 years of feeling groovy, gender-bending, blending, defying, and defending ourselves as we live true to our authentic selves. As always, Common Threads weaves together a show of fashion to the stories our outfits tell.

Be assured our Common Threads Fashion Show is open to all TransWeek attendees, partners, and presenters. For more information on the Common Threads Show, see full event information earlier in this guide on page 31.

For more information, please see the Common Threads Fashion Show page.

Workshop:
Cultivating your Happiness
Niela Miller
Let us ponder how we develop true happiness internally by the choices we make, the thoughts we think, the relationships we develop, the places we go, the things we make, the food we eat, etc. and write some lists, little poems or short paragraphs to share with each other. Delight and gratitude will be the reward as well as new ideas we get from each other!

Fabulous Fantasia Fair Follies
Erin Daily & Nick Greiner
Come see some of the community’s brightest new talents, both professional and amateur, in this charity fund-raising cabaret and talent show. For more information, please see the Follies page earlier in this guide on page 39.

For more information, please see the Follies page.

Farewell Breakfast
Come as you are to the farewell breakfast, where you can partake in a good hearty breakfast before you head home. The restaurant will open up early for those who want to get an early start on their journey home. The breakfast is long enough so attendees can pop in and out as they prepare to leave Provincetown. If you need to leave early and can’t make it, so long until next year! For more information, please see the Farewell Breakfast page earlier in this guide on page 49.

Workshop:
Finding My Way Out Of the Darkness: How I Found Self-Love and Acceptance
Tony Ferraiolo
Join this transformative workshop based on the powerful memoir Finding My Way Out of the Darkness. This workshop dives into the journey of overcoming deep emotional struggles and traumatic experiences, leading to self-love and acceptance. Through personal stories and interactive exercises, participants will explore strategies for healing, building resilience, and fostering self-compassion. This workshop is a safe space for anyone seeking to understand their struggles, find hope, and embark on their own path to emotional well-being. Whether you are at the beginning of your healing journey or looking to deepen your self-awareness, this workshop offers the support and inspiration to help you thrive.

Gala Awards Banquet
Dee LaValle
The annual Gala Awards Banquet is the highlight of the week! Show off your finest threads in this black-tie affair and congratulate this year’s award recipients. For more information about the event and a listing of award categories, please see the Gala Awards Banquet section earlier in this guide on page 46. See the photo of awardees from TransWeek 2023 on page 101. For a complete list of previous awardees, please visit our website www.transweek.org/awards.

For more information, please see the Banquet page.

Group Photo
Dan McKeon
Please join us for a group photo! There are two dates scheduled for this, with the second being the rain date.

Workshop:
It Ain’t Me, Babe–But maybe It Is (Cis partners only)
Carole MacKenzie, LCSW
This workshop will focus on the journey of the non-transgender member of the relationship. It will shift the conversation to their needs and challenges.
Focus Questions:
What does being the partner of a transgender person mean about you? How has it changed you? What have you learned? What are the losses and what are the gains? How does this fact fit into the larger frame of your individual life story? How do you feel as a cis partner in cis and trans spaces? How do you see the future?

Workshop:
Image Consulting
Hera Navassardian
A teaching showcase on how to put together a NEW YOU thru image consulting.

Kick-Off Brunch
Dee LaValle
Monday morning is the annual kick-off brunch; you’ll have a chance to mingle with your new friends. A town hall style discussion will begin around 10:00 am. Here you’ll get information about what is going on during the week and learn about the features in this year’s TransWeek. You will also be introduced to key personnel who will be leading the various events and programs you may wish to participate in.

At the end of the presentation, stick around to help us fill volunteer needs for the week. See page 25 earlier in this guide for more information.

Workshop:
Lost in the Provincetown Fog
Liz Winter
You finally made it to Provincetown, and TransWeek was the most fabulous experience of your life. You’re pumped up, full of new self-confidence, and unable to think about anything but expressing yourself in your preferred gender role. Back at home, the world seems drab and you chafe at having to hide part of yourself from your family, friends, and co-workers. You want to burst forth, heedless of consequences, and proclaim yourself to the world, and you think you just might. Congratulations. You’re in the Provincetown Fog. The fog is the state of euphoria we experience when we take our gender expression to a new level. It’s a dangerous time to make decisions, and yet a time when we most want to. Come talk about the Provincetown Fog with your peers and get suggestions on how to find your way out of it. Highly recommended for first timers.

Lunch
Five lunches and a brunch are included with your full-week registration. These meals are in various restaurants, all within easy walking distance from the center of town. When you check in at the office to get your registration packet, you’ll receive a sheet of tickets for the restaurants you pre-selected at registration. You’ll need these tickets when you arrive for lunch. Tickets are good only for the date and location printed on them.

Workshop:
Meet Your Fellow Couples: Telling (or Updating) Our Unique Love Stories (Couples in Attendance Only)
Maureen Osborne, PhD, & Carole MacKenzie, LCSW
In this workshop for couples only, we will give ourselves the time and space to meet fellow travelers and tell our stories in a safe and supportive environment. Intended for first-timers as well as couples who have been coming to TransWeek for years.
Focus Questions:
How long have you been together? How did you meet? When and how did you hear about your partner’s transgender nature? How are you both handling that now? Do you have children? If so, tell us about them. Who among your family and friends know about the transgender part of your relationship? How has that been? What is the best thing about your relationship? The most difficult?

Workshop:
Moving beyond “In from the Wilderness”
Rev. Dr. David E. Weekley
This workshop is designed for participants interested in sharing intergenerational transgender history. I will share my experience of transitioning “back in the day” of early gender identity clinics. Those interested in the topic of transgender spirituality may also enjoy this workshop. The format is interactive and informal.

Workshop:
Navigating the Healthcare System; An Exercise in Frustration, Self-Advocacy, and (Ultimately) Joy
Zsuzsana Nagy
The healthcare system is not user friendly for anyone, but this can be magnitudes worse for those whose gender identity differs from what was assigned at birth. The goal of this session is to discuss the details of some common pitfalls, arm ourselves with the knowledge and confidence so that our needs can be met, and learn when we should practice forgiveness versus anger.

Night Out on the Town!
Part of what makes TransWeek special is it takes place in Provincetown. Few places are as accepting and affirming as our host city, and here you will be safe, respected, and honored, whatever your gender presentation. We encourage TransWeek attendees to explore the restaurants, bars, and dance clubs of Provincetown. As you plan your dinner reservations for your nights out at the TransWeek, please try to support our advertisers, who have supported TransWeek in this Participant’s Guide and on our website. When making your choices, please be sure to tell the wait staff and manager you saw their ad in this guide. There are a variety of fine restaurants to choose from in all cuisines and price ranges, all within walking distance or, for those wearing sky-high stilettos, a short cab ride from the center of town. See page 36 earlier in this guide for more information.

Workshop:(Couples in Attendance only-split sessions)
Not What I Bargained For – Reimagining Emotional and Physical Intimacy.
Maureen Osborne, PhD. (Cis partner in attendance only in this session)
Carole MacKenzie, LCSW (Trans partner in attendance only in this session)
A loss of intimacy is the most often reported casualty of a relationship in which one partner comes out as trans. We will explore the many reasons for this and will dig into practical strategies for reclaiming emotional closeness and sexual expression against the daunting headwinds of trust damage and perceived changes in sexual orientation.
Focus Questions:
What changes in sexual and/or emotional intimacy have you experienced in relation to one partner coming out as trans? How have they affected you individually and as a couple? What do you need in order to rework the underpinnings of intimacy in your relationship? What about you and/or your partner gets in the way? What are you willing to try to change these patterns? Can you have satisfactory emotional intimacy even if sexual intimacy is not part of your relationship?

Office Hours and Check-In
Even if you registered in advance, you still need to check in! This is just like having to check in at a hotel, even though you booked a room in advance. During check-in, you’ll get an Identification badge and a sheet of tickets you’ll need to gain entrance to the many events that take place throughout the week. You’ll also receive a packet of goodies, which will include a welcome letter, a map of Provincetown, a printed copy of the schedule for the week, a printed copy of the Participant’s Guide, in a TransWeek 2024 commemorative insulated lunch bag to hold it all! You can also visit the office if you want to switch the next days lunch location.

Open Mic Night
Cody Suzuki
Let’s together delve into the gender spectrum with our words, stories, songs, and music as only we can! Welcoming all genders, we open with verbal expression followed by musical expressions as we are promoting and encouraging a better understanding of ourselves and our community with our expressions. Bring along your words, stories, and instruments for all to enjoy!

Get this show rollin’! Sign-up sheet available at the door. Come early to reserve your spot! For more information, please see the event earlier in this guide on page 37.

For more information, please see the Common Open Mic Night page.

Opening Night Meet & Greet Reception
Planning Committee
After a long day of travel, relax with your old friends and meet your new friends . Come dressed formally, come dressed casually, come dressed as a guy, or come dressed as a girl, or your gender-nonconforming self—just come by and enjoy yourself! For more information, please see the event earlier in this guide on page 24.

For more information, please see the Opening Night Meet & Greet Reception page.

Workshop:
Policing in Provincetown and Beyond
Officer Jennifer Nolette
This workshop will provide a history of policing in Provincetown in regards to the LGBT community. This workshop will describe how we, as the Provincetown Police Department, strive to make sure the trans community feels protected and safe while in our town. We will discuss the anatomy of a hate crime, including the dynamics of hate incidents and bias indicators. Even if an incident does not rise to the level of a hate crime, we will explain why it is important for people to report the incident to the police. Additionally, we will discuss how to be a good witness and what to expect after you report an incident to the police.

Significant Others—Get Acquainted Lunch (Dutch Treat)
Else A.
If you are the cisgender significant other of a transgender or nonbinary person attending TransWeek, you are cordially invited to join the other SOs for a dutch-treat lunch. Get to know each other, share experiences, swap advice, and hear how to get the most out of their TransWeek. You’ll discover that we share a lot in common! You can meet us at the Lobster Pot or walk down as a group after the kick-off presentation concludes. (For cisgender partners only).

Significant Others—Goodbye Circle (For cisgender partners only)
Jolie LaValle
A look back at the week and a chance to trade contact information, plus get a lot of hugs! (For cisgender partners only).

Significant Others—Daily Meet and Greet Gathering
Jolie LaValle (For cisgender partners only)
This is a relaxed, safe space to connect with other SOs who are attending TransWeek. Come ask questions, and figure out how to get the most out of your time during the week. These daily gatherings are recommended for all SOs. (For cisgender partners only).

Workshop:
Stage Prep
Janice Small
Do you think you might have a hidden talent? Are you dreaming about performing in the Follies? Are you just a little too nervous that you can do it? Are you a singer who just needs the right piano accompaniment?, If you answered yes to any of these questions, come to this stage prep workshop to see if we can help. We will provide a safe space and offer advice for getting over jitters on the stage. We will provide tips to help you tweak your talent. We will provide you with the encouragement you need to let your light shine. Don’t worry; attending this workshop does not mean you have to perform. Give us a chance to help you decide on your comfort level. If you feel ready to take the next step and attend the Follies rehearsal. We can guarantee that the Follies audience will be the friendliest you will ever see.

Workshop:
Stand By Me: Being Trans in a Committed Relationship with a Cisgender Partner (All trans people in a relationship are invited)
Maureen Osborne, PhD.
This workshop will focus on the trans member of a relationship and the challenges they have faced in trying to balance their needs for gender expression/transition with the needs of their cisgender partner to catch up with the new context this presents for them.
Focus Questions:
How and when did you come out to your spouse as trans? Was it a long-anticipated relational ripple or an unexpected tsunami? If you are still together, how are you dealing with the day-to-day dilemmas of balancing your needs against your partner s? How do you manage the problem of your changing needs, i.e., the moving target issue? If your relationship did not survive, what were the reasons, as you see them? How does this reality fit into the larger frame of your individual life history? How do you see the future?

Sunday Worship Service
Transgender Week attendees have been worshiping at Provincetown s UU Meeting House for more than 40 years. Join together in fellowship with your friends and P Town natives for contemplation and worship.

Workshop:
The Church Closet
Alice T.
Transgender people who go to church tend to be in two closets. First, they “can’t tell “people in church that they’re transgender and second, they “can’t tell” transgender folks that they go to church. This is only because church (synagogue, mosque, and temple) is and has been a destructive force in the lives of many transgender people. The Roman Catholic Church, in all its ancient and august glory, is singled out for two reasons. First, it places itself in the forefront as Teacher of Great Truths. Second, the presenter is Catholic and doesn’t know that much about other denominations, much less other religions. This workshop is intended for all folks who resonate with the following: “To submit to the guidance of traditional religion is to submit to a terrible kind of spiritual rape but to reject it is to face a terrible spiritual loneliness.”

Workshop:
The Script
Brit Fryer
A short documentary bending personal interviews with dramatized recreations, THE SCRIPT explores the complicated relationship between trans and nonbinary communities and medical providers regarding gender-affirming care. With a playful approach, the film invites its participants and its audience to use radical imagination to envision better, more affirming healthcare for trans and nonbinary communities.

Workshop:
The U.S. Trans Movement: History of activism, politics and media from the 80’s onward
Vanessa Edwards Foster, et al.
Each presenter will cover their varying perspectives of their political/activist affiliations through the years, covering the inception of Trans activism and advocacy, as well as the beginnings of Trans media coverage.

Trans Attendees—Daily Meet and Greet Gathering
Welcome Team
This is a relaxed, safe space to come to connect with others who are attending TransWeek. Come and talk about how to get the most out of your time at TransWeek. It’s a great way to start your day. If you have questions, our facilitators will be able to point you in the right direction. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend, especially first-timers.Workshop:

Workshop: (2 separate sessions)
Transcribe and Transform
Carolyn Wolf-Gould
In this casual setting, we will connect to our own stories and to one another through a series of short writing prompts. We pay no attention to spelling, grammar, or punctuation and focus on letting our stories emerge on the page without edits. Writers of all experience (or lack thereof) are welcome. You will have the option of sharing your short pieces, with no judgement from those in attendance, or keeping them private and close to your heart. Bring only a willingness to open your heart. I will supply pens and notebooks.

Workshop:
TransWeek Onboarding for the Future
Dee LaValle
TransWeek has had a transformative impact on thousands of lives and relationships over the last fifty years; perhaps one of them was yours. Everything that TransWeek was, is, and will be is thanks to its volunteers. TransWeek is an entirely volunteer-driven event. Volunteers are TransWeek’s lifeblood, and without enough individuals stepping in, it will be unable to continue providing the experience that has impacted us all and the future newcomer.

Come to this onboarding session to hear about particular volunteer needs and how you can get involved in the 2025 event planning process as a member of the planning committee or the board of directors. We will have a list of roles and duties, as well as expected time commitments.

If you are unable to volunteer any of your time during the winter, spring, or summer, please complete the yearly survey after the event if you have any suggestions that will help make the following year’s event even better. If you are unable to attend this onboarding session, please contact anyone on the planning committee or board of directors to find out how to get involved.

Volunteer Planning
Sibil Greiner
If you want to get the most out of your TransWeek experience, then get involved! Find out in this brief get-together, opportunities to volunteer by helping to take tickets at a lunch during the week.

Clinic:
Walk-in Clinic
Elysia Cerreta-Dial, APRN, PMHNP-BC
A medical provider and mental health support counselor will be available without an appointment, providing personalized care, support, and free medical screenings. This walk-in clinic is sponsored by Health Care Advocates International (HCAI). The clinic will also be providing free chest binders to those who may need them. Please consult page 35 for more information on the clinic, including the days and hours it will be open.

Activity:
Walking Tour (Tour time will be about 1.75 hours)
Carrie Lopes
Experience the sites of Provincetown in this fun and informative tour that focuses on the history and architecture of this seaside community. Your guide, Carrie, is retired from the Provincetown Police Department, where she was responsible for touring the new police recruits around town as part of their orientation. Today you will be the new recruits as Carrie leads you through the fabulous streets and quaint hidden ways to discover stories about the town. Please wear your comfortable walking shoes.

Workshop:
Working to Define and to Communicate Your Needs, and to Negotiate with Your Partner Fairly. (Couples in Attendance Only)
Maureen Osborne, PhD & Carole MacKenzie, LCSW
Whatever the state or stage of your relationship, there are special challenges in a cis/trans relationship, among them a loss of trust, a need for re-definition of self, potential disruptions in family ties, and a crisis of intimacy. Such challenges require self-examination, fearless and mutually respectful dialogue, and negotiation. We will look at some principles and strategies that should ease the way.
Focus Questions:
How do you handle conflict in your relationship? Does one person give in more often? Do you speak your mind or are you easily silenced? How do you ask for what you need? Do you know what you need? When your feelings change, can you slow things down or ask for more without risking hurt or alienation? Is one partner better with words than the other? Do you feel that one person has more power, and if so, why? What agreements have you made that feel as if they ve been violated? Are there mitigating factors? Is intentionality important? Can you discern and communicate what you need from your partner in order to feel safe again in your relationship? Is there any part of your reaction to perceived trust violations that has its roots in your own family and relationship history? Is there anything that you do that makes it less likely for your partner to treat you in a trustworthy way.

Wrap-up session (Couples in Attendance Only)
Maureen Osborne, PhD & Carole MacKenzie, LCSW
In the first half of this final session, Carole and Maureen will do their best to respond to unaddressed questions and topics not covered during the week. There are no dumb questions! Then, each couple will have an opportunity to share what they have learned in these sessions and to commit to one thing they want to do differently going forward, based on what they’ve learned. If you attended in previous years and made the “do one thing differently” commitment, please let us know how that worked out