Musings from a Boston Intern

Posted by Claire Krizman, guest blogger of Family Equality Council

This will be my first Family Week in Provincetown and I could not be more excited. Not only that, but this is my very first internship! As a Human Rights major, working with LGBT families is right up my alley.

Massachusetts is also a new state for me. I have visited Boston before, but I have never lived on the Northeast. Exploring the city in my off time has been incredible. From finding my local Whole Foods, to the best place to find gluten-free pizza, I am slowly learning the ins and outs of my neighborhood. The tourist attractions are fun as well. So far I have checked out the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Boston Common and Public Garden, and Newbury Street.

Family Week is upon us, and the interns for Family Equality Council are getting busy! For twenty-one years now, Family Week in Provincetown has been the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ families in the world! This year Family Week runs from July 23rd-30th. Learn more and register.

I am getting to do so much more planning than I thought I would as an intern. I had pictured the stereotypical internship – coffee runs and filing – but I am actually getting to plan different Family Week events and be creative, which is so much better. I feel like I have a legitimate voice in the process.

The largest event that I am planning, and the one that I am most excited for, is the Littles’ Gathering. On Monday through Friday in the morning, children under the age of four and their parents gather in Bas Relief Park for musical performances, bouncy houses, crafts, and other fun activities.

I am looking forward to getting to meet the parents and the little ones. I am often told by friends that I have “baby fever,” in that I fall in love with every little kid I meet. Coming from a traditional family with one mom and dad, it really interests me to hear stories of families different from mine, and LGBTQ families, from my experience, are some of the most fun and loving to interact with.

Other fun activities that I get to work on include a performance from Boston-based children’s band Karen K and the Jitterbugs, and some affinity and regional gatherings so out families can find kindred spirits and local friends. Unlike most summer jobs, this is a unique internship, in that I will actually get to see the product of my work come to life. I’ll actually get to go to Cape Cod to see families enjoy the events that I have planned and celebrate what makes LGBTQ families special and unique. How cool is that!? On top of that, I know that I am doing meaningful work. From everything that I have heard, Family Week is an incredible experience and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

TOPICS: family events, LGBTQ, Provincetown