The Couples Track is Evolving to “The Relationship Track!”

The Japanese art of kintsugi involves repairing broken pottery with gold. The point isn't that the break was good or that suffering is beautiful. It's that the repaired vessel tells the truth about its history—the places that were once fractured become part of its beauty.

The couples' track at TransWeek must evolve as our culture changes. Previously, couples who attended followed a particular story: one partner transitions, the other is cisgender. We focused on how couples renegotiate identity, attraction, social roles, and grief. But people with different stories have now joined the conference! This year, we are shifting the discussions and exercises to ensure we’re inclusive of diverse identities, partnerships, and histories. In honor of this change, we have renamed our workshop, “The Relationship Track.” 

Rather than focus on concerns about identity, we will organize discussions around the experience of partners in (or out of) relationships. We move from discussions on "transgender relationships" to ones about "relationships navigating identity, change, and authenticity."

Rather than divide into cis and trans groups to ask, “what’s it like to be the cis or trans partner?” we will ask, “how do we manage change in our careers, bodies, health, community, friendships, sexuality, and values?”

All relationships change. For those of you who have participated and enjoyed the couples’ track in the past, we ask for your open-hearted willingness to explore a new paradigm.

The goal of the workshops is not to help partners survive transition. The goal is to help couples become authors of the story they want to tell about their relationship.

"Who are we becoming, apart or together? How can we mend our fractures with gold?” 

Anyone currently or formerly in any kind of partnered relationship may attend, regardless of whether the partner is present or not.

 

 

 

The Relationship Track

 

TransWeek has a long and proud tradition of honoring the spouses, partners, and families of transgender and gender nonconfirming people– those who support us in our everyday activities, despite of and sometimes because of who we are.

Are you a partner with questions?

If you are a partner with questions or concerns, then TransWeek is the place to be. TransWeek has always offered workshops specifically for partners, spouses, and couples, led by expert and empathetic professionals. Throughout the week, you'll find many sessions of interest to those in relationships.

Help from licensed professionals and from your peers

Licensed mental health professionals have always facilitated TransWeek's relationship track.

Our professionals in recent years have been Maureen Osborne, Ph.D., and Carole MacKenzie, LCSW., and recently Carolyn Wolf-Gould, MD.  These professionals have a vast experience with transgender people and their partners and significant others.

Carole MacKenzie, LCSW

Carole MacKenzie is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Hartford, Connecticut. She has focused upon service to the LGBTQ community for many years, working with trans* and queer clients, gender creative children, and their families and allies. In addition, she is an AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists) certified sex therapist and supervisor. She teaches Human Sexual Behavior at the University of Hartford, is a board member of Hartford PFLAG, and a member of WPATH. She is co-facilitator of the Relationship Track at TransWeek.

Carolyn Wolf-Gould, MD.

Carolyn Wolf¬-Gould attended Hamilton College and the Yale University School of Medicine. She served as a family physician in Oneonta, NY, from 1994 until 2026, when she retired. She began providing gender-affirming care in addition to primary care at Susquehanna Family Practice in 2007. As this part of her practice rapidly grew, she became aware of the unmet healthcare needs for gender-diverse people. She founded the Gender Wellness Center in 2013, an interdisciplinary team of medical, mental health, and surgical clinicians. She applied for and was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Grant, and from 2016 to 2019, her team worked toward the formation of a rural-based Center of Excellence in Transgender Health for their region. This organization continues to grow and thrive, though, like other health care centers, it faces challenges in the current political climate. Dr. Carolyn is coeditor (with Dallas Denny, Jamison Green, and Kyan Lynch) of the book A History of Transgender Medicine: From Margins to Mainstream, published in February of 2026. She is now working towards a master's degree in creative writing through Bennington College. She loves the Cape, her community of friends at TransWeek, and she looks forward to meeting new people this year.

 

Do you just need to talk to other partners?

Often it is helpful to get the perspective of others in similar situations. If you just need to talk with other partners, TransWeek gives you that opportunity. Every year, about a quarter of the people who attend TransWeek are partners, so there are plenty of people to talk to. The week gives you lots of time to meet and interact with other couples and individuals of all identities in partnered relationships, to share stories and insights, and to become part of a community.

Participate as much or as little as you want

Partners are free to participate in TransWeek to whatever degree they wish, guided by their own level of comfort and interest. Some partners become involved and take leading roles in Fair activities. Some partners just come to enjoy Provincetown and the people it attracts. You set your own level of participation. If you have an interest in learning and sharing ideas about your experiences, you will be able to share them--or not.

Have a vacation or work on your relationship--or both!

You can use TransWeek to work on your relationship, or just enjoy the relaxed anything-goes atmosphere of Provincetown.

The unique aspects of TransWeek - its length and breadth, encompassing all things from the serious to the frivolous, and its charming setting make it a great event to attend for people in a relationship. Imagine strolling about town or along the beach, hand-in-hand with your partner. From the natives, you'll likely encounter friendly welcomes or benign indifference; we are old friends to them--and you'll find the tourists on their best behavior.

Discounts on Registration

TransWeek organizers have long understood the value of those in a relationship, and their presence coming to the event. We provide a discount for the partner's or significant other's registration. We urge you to take advantage of the special opportunities TransWeek offers so that you can join us in October.

 

What to expect

We focus on how couples renegotiate identity, attraction, social roles, and grief. The discussions and exercises ensure we’re inclusive of diverse identities, partnerships, and histories.

The discussions will include the experience of partners in (or out of) relationships and navigating identity, change, and authenticity.

As relationships evolve, we will discuss how do we manage change in our careers, bodies, health, community, friendships, sexuality, and values?

The goal of the track is not to help partners survive transition. The goal is to help those in a relationship become the authors of the story they want to tell about their relationship. "Who are we becoming, apart or together? How can we mend our fractures with gold?”

Anyone currently or formerly in any kind of partnered relationship may attend, regardless of whether the partner is present or not.