The Running of the Mulllets
That’s what they used to call Ptown’s Women’s Week, years and years ago. And you know who they are. But this year, with the glorious blue sky, sunny warm days and full fall color spectrum as thier background, the women of Women’s Week were mostly mulletless and gorgeous. And from all over the county – Texas, California, Vermont, Staten Island.
You’ll be relieved to know that no one was hurt during the Kate Clinton Touch Football Classic. The hundreds of spectators were encouraged to step forward to catch any high flying lesbians veering toward any sort of cement. They all took their job very seriously. The New Hampshire cheerleaders were there with their home made pom poms and willingness to lead the wave. Vicki Shaw, Poppy, Jenny McNulty, Suede, Karen Williams, Suzanne Westenhoffer and many others took turns calling the game on the bullhorn my girlfriend gave me for Christmas two years ago. This year we had jerseys! thanks to the sponsorship of NCLR, the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Kate Kendell, indefatigable executive director of NCLR was rooting her blue team on, while I rooted my white jerseyed team on. When we switched teams, not that way, there was the lovely viewing of lesbians taking off their shirts. The Battle of the Kates was great fun and ended in, my personal favorite, a tie game. We all went off to the Pied Piper after for rub-downs and post-game interviews.
There were parties, proms, concerts, dinners, tours, shows, sale shopping, and events all over town. I was glad that NCLR was a presence at so many events, because for thirty years their mission has been to defend the rights of lesbians. It is thier visionary, courageous work for so many years that makes events like Women’s Week, these thirty years later, possible.
I’ve stayed in Ptown a few extra days and this week in town, it is Fantasia Fair. Cross-dressing men, often accompanied by their wives, enjoy the welcome mat of Ptown and once again, I am reminded of the promise of sexual liberation. Sure there might be a couple of Pilgrims spinning in their cold, lonely graves, but I am so proud of the people of Ptown. Next for the town that theme weekends built – The AA Roundup, Single Men’s Weekend and Holly Folly.
