2025 Event Descriptions

2025 Keynotes

(Listed by Day)

Monday
A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States: From Margins to Mainstream
Carolyn Wolf-Gould
Arriving at a critical moment in the struggle for transgender rights, A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States takes an empathic approach to an embattled subject. Sweeping in scope and deeply personal in nature, this groundbreaking volume traces the development of transgender medicine across three centuries–centering the voices of transgender individuals, debunking myths about gender-affirming care, and empowering readers to grasp the complexities of this evolving field. More than forty contributors—including patients, advocates, physicians, psychologists, and scholars—weave an illuminating, sometimes surprising narrative of collaboration and conflict between trans people and the scientists who have studied and worked with them. An indispensable guide to understanding the current tumult surrounding trans health-care access in the United States, the volume underscores a crucial message: gender diversity is not a new phenomenon but an integral part of our shared human history.

Tuesday
Trans Folk in America
Wade McCullough
When exploring the presence, resilience, and contributions of trans people throughout American history, in light of today’s political climate, it’s more important than ever to highlight that trans folk have always been here—and will continue to be. Through discussion and storytelling, we’ll reflect on the past, examine the present, and envision a future shaped by visibility, truth, and strength.

Wednesday
Let’s Stop HIV Together!
Naomi Turner
This session will discuss the importance of HIV prevention. A patient ambassador will share their personal perspectives and prevention journey.
Objectives:
Understand the importance of decreasing new HIV infections and how to leverage prevention options
Establish confidence in the educational impact of sexual health discussions, HIV testing and health outcomes for those who can benefit from PrEP
Gain extensive knowledge and skills to educate others in community

Thursday
Stronger Together: Resilience in Unprecedented Times
Dru Levasseur
Join openly trans attorney and nationally recognized advocate Dru Levasseur for a powerful keynote on navigating today’s anti-trans backlash with strength and purpose. With over 25 years of leadership as a trans rights litigator, DEI strategist, and grassroots organizer, Dru will share stories of resilience, insights from his chapter in Surviving Transphobia, and practical strategies for staying strong amid relentless attacks on the trans and nonbinary community. In a time of uncertainty, this conversation offers perspective, solidarity, and a path forward grounded in collective strength.

Friday
From Crisis to Power: Transforming Trans Health for the Future
Dallas Ducar
Transforming Trans Health for the Future explores how legal, funding, and institutional forces are shaping trans healthcare today, and how our community can shift from a reactive posture to proactive power-building. Drawing on the history of trans-led movements, the discussion will highlight models of resilience—mutual aid, shield laws and community advocacy—and share concrete strategies for securing continuity of care in the face of mounting attacks. The talk underscores the importance of centering trans leadership, investing in sustainable community-driven health systems, and building resilient networks of care. Attendees will leave with tangible actions to support a self-determined trans health future

Saturday
What a Ride
Miqqi Alicia Gilbert, PhD
Miqqi chronicles her life’s work, including her years as a tireless organizer of Fantasia Fair (now known as TransWeek). She will also recount her many adventures in the media as an out cross-dresser, especially during an era when the term “transgender” was far less recognized or understood. Through her activism and visibility, Miqqi helped to pave the way for broader acceptance and understanding, offering support and inspiration to many who were searching for community and self-expression.

2025 Workshops & Events

(Listed Alphabetically by Event Title)

Event:
5th 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. The winner of each game will win a fabulous prize. 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.

For more information, please see the Comic Bingo page.

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 location and hours, please see After Hours on page 29 earlier in this guide.

Workshop:
Ask a Trans Sex Therapist
Jordon Anderson, LICSW, CST
This workshop will be an open dialogue between community members and the presenter. The group discussion will explore topics related to sexuality and being trans-identified. This presentation does not assume individuals are in relationships and, as such, open to all life stages. Exploring topics related to erotic embodiment, challenges with dating, fantasy, kink, ace-sexuality, and building meaningful connections with others.

Workshop:
Being trans in the time of MAGA
Janice Small
A supportive space to share strategies, experiences, and resources for navigating life as a trans person in the time of MAGA. Together, we’ll explore ways to stay strong, connected, and resilient when our community is under attack.

Workshop:
Brave Belonging: Living Authentically in a World That Doesn’t Always See You
Sibil Mae Greiner
This workshop is designed to be compact yet deeply resonant, trauma-informed, and specifically supportive of transgender individuals navigating authenticity within socially conservative settings.

Workshop:
The Church Closet
Sr. Alice
How does one remain Catholic or any kind of Christian or religious person when they helped put ‘him’ in office? Today more than ever in the recent past, we are targeted for annihilation by some members of this church. We who have thrown off the shackles of internalized transphobia have some things to teach this church, and history tells us that they will eventually listen.
This workshop is intended for 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.”
We will present one person’s journey as a small example of how to navigate this dilemma effectively.
All are welcome!

Workshop:
The Clues Missed: A Journey of Self-Discovery
Janice Small
Participants are invited to join as the speaker shares the story of their personal journey of discovery—a path filled with lessons, surprises, and clues they did not recognize at the time. Together, the session will explore how hindsight can reveal signs often overlooked. This is an interactive event, encouraging attendees to share their own stories and reflections.

Event:
Common Threads Fashion Show
Cody Suzuki and Nick Greiner
This year we’re setting sail to new horizons from our humble beginnings 51 years ago. 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, please see the Common Threads Show page.

Workshop:
Crossdressers: Where do we fit in the Trans Spectrum?
Alyssa Grant
Welcome to this open discussion space where we explore and aim to understand the diverse identities within the trans and gender-expansive communities. The focus of this workshop is to create a respectful and thoughtful conversation between crossdressers and trans individuals so that we can learn from each other’s experiences, share perspectives, and reflect on both differences and commonalities that exist between us. Whether you identify as a crossdresser, a trans person, or somewhere in between, this time is here to foster understanding, empathy, and dialogue.

Event:
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!

Workshop:
Feminization Makeup Tutorial for Beginners
Natasha Xdress
This workshop will demonstrate the proper steps for feminizing makeup, providing detailed guidance to achieve the best results. The session will include brand recommendations from both drugstore and high-end brands.

Event:
The Follies
Erin Daily and 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 The Follies page.

Event:
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, please see the The Awards Banquet page.

Event:
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
Jesus, Moses, David, and Us
Dena Stigers
This workshop will engage Evangelical teachings on how individuals who are gender non-conforming are viewed through the lens of scripture, explained with an Evangelical voice and a high regard for biblical texts. The session will examine passages from Matthew and Exodus and a Psalm to build a scriptural case for understanding all people as God’s handiwork and made in God’s image.

Event
Kick-Off Brunch
Jennifer
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.

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.

Event
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 online. 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 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?

Event:
Morning Meet and Greet Gathering (Significant Others)
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 for all SOs. (For cisgender partners only).

Event:
Morning Meet and Greet Gathering (Trans attendees)
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.

Event
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 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.

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)
Carole MacKenzie, LCSW (Trans partner in attendance only)
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 2025 commemorative insulated lunch bag to hold it all! You can also visit the office if you want to switch the next day’s lunch location.

Workshop:
One Man’s Story
Dena Stigers
Lessons in performative masculinity emerge during pivotal moments for audiences of trans men, trans masculine individuals, genderqueer, and non-binary people. Whether one chooses to follow established boundaries or break them, these experiences can fuel artistic inspiration or encourage defiance. What stands out are the insights gained from past mistakes and successes, offering guidance on how others can share their stories authentically, even when confronting the constraints imposed by patriarchal systems.

Event:
Open Mic Night
Cody Suzuki and Ashley Lynn
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 Open Mic Night page.

Event:
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 Open Night Meet and Greet Reception page.

Workshop:
Stage Prep
Janice Small
Ever dreamed of taking the stage? Do you have a song in your heart or a dance you’ve been dying to try out—but feeling unsure? This workshop is a chance to practice, polish your act, and build confidence before the big show. In this safe, encouraging space, you can try out your number, get feedback, and shine. All acts are welcome—so bring your talent, your creativity, and your courage! Janice will be available to provide piano accompaniment for your Follies act.

Workshop:
Stand By Me: Being Trans in a Committed Relationship with a Cisgender Partner
(All trans people in a relationship are invited, whether or not their partner is in attendance)
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
TransWeek attendees have been worshiping at Provincetown’s UU Meeting House for more than Forty years. Join together in fellowship with your friends and P’Town natives for contemplation and worship.

Workshop:
Transcribe and Transform
Carolyn Wolf-Gould
The process of writing in a group can have deep and lasting value, both as a way to find voice for one’s experience and to create a caring community. This workshop uses brief writing exercises as a means to build community and to explore our experiences from the unique perspective that each individual brings. Participants will be asked to respond in writing to a series of diverse prompts and then further asked (but not required!) to share their writing with others in the group. You don’t need to be a professional writer—we ignore grammar, spelling and punctuation. We ask only that you come with a willingness to put words on a page, and possibly share them. Through the writing, we hope to get to know one another more fully and also ponder the impact of identifying as TG, or of knowing someone who is TG, in a safe, nurturing environment. All members of the trans community and their allies (SOs, extended family, friends, advocates, providers, etc.) are welcome for one day or every day!

Workshop:
Transformative Allyship: Supporting Indigenous and Trans Communities – Virtual Panel Discussion
Host: Burhan M.
In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Provincetown, TransWeek and the Provincetown Business Guild present an online panel discussion that will explore the urgent need for intentional and intersectional allyship with Indigenous and trans communities. Speakers will share lived experiences and strategies for organizations and individuals to dismantle barriers, build authentic relationships, and advance transformative action. The conversation will also set the stage for Indigenous Peoples’ Month in November, equipping audiences with tools for sustained allyship year-round.

Workshop:
TransWeek 2025 Official Flag Raising
Jennifer
Please join us to celebrate the official start of TransWeek 2025 with the raising of a beautiful new transgender flag on the lawn in front of the Provincetown Business Guild office at 115 Bradford Street. Please refer to the schedule for date and time.

Workshop:
TransWeek Onboarding for the Future
Jennifer and Dee LaValle
TransWeek has had a transformative impact on thousands of lives and relationships over the last 51 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 2026 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 Mae 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.

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.

Event:
Welcome Banquet and Tea Dance
DJ Maryalice
Let’s come together to celebrate the first full day of TransWeek 2025 with the organizing committee and fellow attendees at the Welcome Banquet and Tea Dance. We collectively have so much to be thankful for, and what better way to celebrate than with an old-fashioned Thanksgiving family feast followed by dancing or just socializing, if you wish. Come dressed in your favorite dance shoes or outfit and get ready for a classic Provincetown tea dance just for us.
As dinner winds down, the dance floor heats up with the renowned resident DJ, Maryalice will be spinning the first song of an electrifying set. This celebration is at the home of Provincetown’s biggest dance party. Its legendary Tea Dance has been an important part of Provincetown for fifty years and is a “must-do” for first-timers and seasoned visitors alike. It will be a hopping night at the Boatslip, and we will see you on the dance floor.

For more information, please see the Dinner and Dance page.

We Need Trans Books: Book Banning and the Importance of Transgender Literature
Fin Leary
Research from PEN America illustrates that 6 percent of all banned books are about transgender characters. This workshop and conversation will focus on the long, cherished history of trans authors and literature, as well as the historical context and impact of anti-trans censorship. Aimed at a general audience, it will invite attendees to access their own practice of creative writing as a form of resistance and empowerment.

What I’ve Learned
Mary Beth Cooper
This is not a lecture but an interactive discussion. Participants should bring a list of up to five things they’ve learned about themselves, their hometown community, their relationships, or anything else that they’ve learned about themselves being transgender. It will be an opportunity to learn what in our lives is similar, as well as our differences depending on age, geographical location, life journey, etc. Please use one-to-three sentence bullet points, as we want everyone to have time to participate (no book-length life stories, please!). Participants will be welcome to offer their perspectives on similar or opposite occurrences in their own experiences.

Whose Gender Ideology Is It, Anyway?
Dallas Denny
We are experiencing a singular moment in American political history in which a culture of corruption and cruelty dominates. Institutions which are deemed to be “woke,” legal and illegal immigrants, those with brown skin, and transgender and nonbinary people are the initial targets of this emerging fascist state and are under furious unconstitutional attack. A primary argument against transpeople is the claim that we suffer from “gender ideology.” What is gender ideology? What does it signify? Who has it, them or us? How many genders are there, anyway? Two, as the administration mandates, or many, as supported by overwhelming evidence from the scientific discipline of biology? What does our immediate future look like? Come, and let’s have a lively discussion about all this!

Working to Define and to Communicate Your Needs, and to Negotiate with Your Partner Fairly (Couples 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 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.