“Ferry Tale” – Provincetown, MA Is A Vacation Place Where Queer Friendships May Flower 

When it arrived at the future Provincetown in the year of our Lord 1620, the good ship Mayflower had been through hell, or so it must have seemed.  There were 102 passengers, all of whom had endured diseases varying from seasickness to scurvy.  Only two score of the passengers were separatists, religious extremists who decided the only way to separate from the Church of England was to separate from England.  These self-anointed pilgrims referred to themselves as “saints” and the other passengers–adventurers and tradesmen and crew—as “strangers.”  The ship’s provisions were all but depleted, and the pilgrims’ below-decks prayers hadn’t restored even one little grain.   

Multiple storms had broken their main beam and changed their course, causing Mayflower to land hundreds of miles north of her Virginia destination.   Some of the crew recognized it as Cape Cod’s northernmost point.  The passengers tarried for five weeks, squeezing out the Mayflower Compact as they did, then weighed anchor in search of more Plymouth-y pastures. Three hundred years later, the locale still receives travelers dedicated to a different sort of pilgrimage–the technical term is “vacation.”  

    Most modern pilgrims travel to Provincetown via a somewhat similar conveyance:  a ferry from Boston (although convoluted land options are also available).  The sea ride generally takes an hour-and-a-half.  Toward the end of that term, the first thing the modern pilgrim will notice is a slate-colored, 252-foot-high, Heaven-clutching spire whose granite walls seem unmoved by the warm summer sun.  This is the Pilgrim Monument, the most conspicuous exhibit in the Provincetown Museum.  

    Wheeled suitcases float over the wooden planks of MacMillan Piece like sailing ships, delivering the modern pilgrim to the Provincetown Historic District.  Lying parallel to the shoreline is Commercial Street, an asphalt-and-red-brick dry sea lane where bikes, vans, pedicabs, and pedestrian pass each other like affable ships in an affable night.  

    The reasoning behind Commercial Street’s name become obvious after a handful of steps:  boutiques and bars, cafes and coffee houses, eateries and ice cream shops, souvenir stores and entertainment venues vie like mermaids and sirens for the new pilgrims’ attention.  A constant, uneven movement accentuates the air above the street, a flattering fluttering nudged by the briny air:  from nearly every pole, porch, rail, and windowsill, familiar banners fly, alternating Old Glory and the Pride flag.  The preponderance of these polyester rainbows is no coincidence:  Provincetown’s ZIP code contains the most same-gender couples of any such code in the United States.

      In fact, Provincetown is identified time and again as one of the best LGBTQ+ vacation destinations in the world, old or new.  Everything shimmers uniquely…but that’s just the light of Provincetown—because it’s surrounded on three side by water, Ptown enjoys “sea light,” a natural illumination unlike any other in the world.

    “I believe every day of the year is spectacular in Provincetown, but summertime is when it’s in full glory with events, parties, daily tea dances, themed dances, nightlife and gatherings that are exuberant celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community,” affirms Provincetown’s Director of Tourism, Anthony Fuccillo.  “It’s the most exciting, acclaimed time of the year to be here, and people from all walks of life visit and are always welcomed by everyone.”

    July 2024 alone offers queer Provincetown pilgrims a wide array of LGBTQ+ cultural options.  Bear Week begins on July 13th.  Scheduled events include Bear Week’s Watering Hole Welcoming Party and Cigar Social, mixers, noodle nights, game nights, bears boxers and brief parties (with or without dancing), a jazz brunch, and even a pancake pool party where back hair is not required but highly encouraged.  Although Bear Week can be experienced in ways that are either stimulating or sanguine, hibernation is obviously never an option. 

    Girl Splash:  A Summer Week For Women will be celebrated between July 24th and July 27th.  It’s one of five monthly happenings presented by Provincetown for Women, a local, grrrl-o-centric non-profit.  As of press time, the specific events haven’t been settled, but past year’s Splash included the Girl Splash Welcome Meet-Up, Lesbian Beach at Herring Cove, Sunset Dune Tour (followed by a Beach Bonfire), Babes & Bois Provincetown Trolley Tour, Babes & Bois’ Cliterary Book Club, Babes & Bois + Coyote Kayak Adventure, along with live music, live comedy, feminist readings, whale watching, and even a pick-up softball game. 

    July 27th marks the beginning of Family Week.  According to Family Equality, the event’s host, Provincetown’s Family Week is the biggest such gathering of LGBTQ+ families in the world.  Says the event’s official website: “From sunrise to sunset, Family Week offers opportunities for LGBTQ+ parents, children, extended families, and friends from across the globe to connect, build community, and get empowered.”  Each day teems with kid-friendly fracases, including family kick ball, family beach parties, family dance parties, family movie nights, family musical matinee, family yoga classes, drag bingo, drag story time, and daily workshops that foster community-building.  The whole thing concludes on the night of August 2nd with a Teen Dance.  

    The compact Provincetown has made with its modern pilgrims assures that visitors are always treated as saints and never as strangers.  “I would be remiss to not mention our second summer in September and October when it remains lively with more than enough to do, the festivals continue, the beaches sizzle and the water is warmer than July and August, and the room rates are less expensive,” observes Fuccillo.  “Just think of P-town as a kaleidoscope of activities and fun, and we like to say adventures filled with pride!”

provincetown-ma.gov
ptowntourism.com/summer/