Womxn of Color Weekend rocked!

Womxn of Color Weekend (WoCW) held its annual event from June 4- 9 in Provincetown. WoCW was a unique and bold event held in this present political era, that's targeting marginalized, intersectional communities. However, WoCW "unapologetically centers womxn of color, trans-, nonbinary, and genderfluid people of color and warmly welcomes our accomplices," stated on its website. This year's annual gathering once again reaffirmed our right to exist.

WoCW was founded in 2007. Its bold mission was to bring diversity to Provincetown. Provincetown has a long and revered history of predominantly white gay male vacationers.

"Representation matters!" one of this week's attendees stated on wocweekend Instagram. "It's great to see people of color, especially women of color. This is the only time you'll get to see this many people in this space. "

Provincetown - unlike Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard - does not have a historically black section nor an annual summer visit of a sizable population of people of color vacationers.

"In full honesty, my perception of Provincetown was that it only catered to an older and whiter demographic; I had no idea that there would be events and venues that warmly welcomed my 20-something black queer self. I believe that WoCW is transforming the existing culture by signaling to the queer communities of color that there is, in fact, space for us in P-town; we just gotta show up first!" Jha told Curve.

However, Provincetown has changed drastically for the better in accommodating WoCW in terms of racial cultural competence and police protection of us. In 2011, I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post titled "Provincetown's Not Safe for Black Lesbians" because of the sexual and homophobic harassment by male Jamaican summer migrant workers and a lack of protection from the police.

"A few years back, I sent a letter about this very subject... and I received an email from the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce, instructing me to get in touch with them and the police if this happens again... well, it has happened again, and again," a woman wrote me in 2011.

In 2025, I now feel safer in Provincetown as an African American lesbian walking back to my accommodation in the wee hours of the morning than I do residing in Cambridge. As a safe place where we can gather and enjoy the pleasures of Provincetown, such as its beaches, natural beauty, and entertainment scene, WoCW draws huge crowds from across the country.

The event programs were electrifying and edifying, featuring a wide variety of activities for an audience with diverse interests: a pool party, fashion show, all-star game, comedy show, fitness classes, mindfulness sessions, speed dating, workshops, and discussion panels, to name a few. I was on the panel titled "Nurturing Our Narrative," which was a discussion on how we own our narratives through storytelling, arts, and media. One of the ways was the annual WoCW, a celebration and opportunity for intergenerational, multicultural, and cross-sector networking, business engagement, and community relationship building. As LGBTQIA women of color, trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid people of color, this event creates a historical record of our presence in Provincetown that now intersects with the town's promotion as an inclusive LGBTQ+ destination.

The 4-day gathering went by too swiftly. However, our farewells and goodbyes come with new friendships and lasting memories. On the last day of the event, one of the attendees texted me the following:

"It was such a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm actually standing outside of the Rose and Crown (the only mixed lesbian couple owned guest house in Ptown and on Commercial Street) right now. I came down from Basswood to say goodbye, but the door is closed, so I'll send a text and head out. I'm looking forward to seeing you all again!

WoCW looks forward to 2026.