Jeanne Leszczynski co-owner of the Sage Inn
in Provincetown Massachusetts talks about Women’s Week in Ptown that takes
place October 12th through the 18th with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of
OUTTAKE VOICES™. In 1984 several entrepreneurial and
fabulous lesbian innkeepers came together to talk about ways to bring
gay women back to Provincetown during the fall. This small discussion
blossomed into the idea of a clambake on the beach for one weekend in
October that would be called Wom...
Jeanne Leszczynski co-owner of the Sage Inn
in Provincetown Massachusetts talks about Women’s Week in Ptown that takes
place October 12th through the 18th with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of
OUTTAKE VOICES™. In 1984 several entrepreneurial and
fabulous lesbian innkeepers came together to talk about ways to bring
gay women back to Provincetown during the fall. This small discussion
blossomed into the idea of a clambake on the beach for one weekend in
October that would be called Women's Weekend. The event was a resounding
success and today is one of the largest and longest running lesbian
events in history. For over 30 years Women's Week has grown far beyond
anyone's expectation. There are over 150 events including workshops,
film screenings and performances by comedians, jazz, blues and
contemporary musicians to entertain those celebrating during this
special week. We talked to Jeanne about what’s happening this year at
Women’s Week in Provincetown and her spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the
next few years Leszczynski stated, “Well mostly I’d like it to become a
non-issue. I would like for everyone to be treated equally. I’m not that
naive to think that is going to happen anytime soon so we will have to
continue to support GLAD and MassEquality in maintaining the law of the
land and of course keeping government attuned to our issues and so we
know that has to continue for awhile. There’s a lot of maintenance to be
done. When that day happens what I would like to see us do and I would
like us to do now is to extend what we have learned about our equal
rights to other minority groups and help them achieve what gay people
have achieved in the acceptance in society of differences. I think we
also should help in the conversation about drawing a line between
government and religion. Sometimes that line gets a little grey and it
takes a little wisdom to sort that through. We don’t want to intrude on
anyone’s religious rights but yet government is for the whole society
and not for any individual’s belief. So that I think is going to be a
very interesting conversation in the next few years.”
Jeanne Leszczynski and her partner Diane DiCarlo are major donors to the
Provincetown Film Society, the Center for Coastal Studies, the Human
Rights Campaign, the Freedom to Marry Coalition, GLAD (Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders) and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
They purchased the former Pilgrim House and Vixen Night Club in 2011 and
opened the Sage Inn & Lounge
in May 2012 as a center of hospitality in Provincetown throughout the
year. During Women’s Week some of the concert performances at Sage Inn
will include the legendary Alix Dobkin, Tret Fure as well as jazz
pianist and singer-songwriter Barbara Higbie with Ptown’s own Zoë Lewis.
Performing in other venues around town will include concerts by Cris
Williamson, Suede and Linda Eder to name a few. Some of the fabulous
comedians appearing throughout Women's Week include Kate Clinton, Jennie
McNulty, Poppy Champlin, Vickie Shaw, Mimi Gonzalez, Kristen Becker,
Maggie Cassella, Suzanne Westenhoefer and more.
For More Info & Tix: womensweekprovincetown.com
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