Men of Melanin Magic Bring First Men of Color Weekend to Provincetown

by Steve Desroches

Part of what makes Provincetown magical is that it’s the kind of place where one can come, be themselves, and not be merely tolerated, but celebrated. The town is of course not a utopia, but it does maintain an important commitment to do the work to create an authentic culture of acceptance. A variety of social movements, cultural organizations, and informal gatherings have chosen Provincetown as a place to find strength in community and empowerment through sharing their own stories. A new event this weekend, one that many feel is long overdue, comes to town as the Boston-based Men of Melanin Magic presents the first ever Men of Color Weekend.

Founded in 2016, Men of Melanin Magic is a social organization that plans events for queer and trans people of color, with a slight focus on queer and trans men of color, through the greater Boston area. The first Tuesday of every month they have bar takeovers at a variety of Boston area bars as well as hold house parties and other gatherings meant to provide fellowship, support, and fun. For a number of years, Provincetown has had a Womxn of Color Weekend, and the Men of Melanin Magic sought to expand their programming by coming across the bay to organize a similar event for queer and trans men.

“It started out with a simple question posed to us by someone on our social media,” says Lambert “Lamb” Rahming. “Why doesn’t Ptown have a Men of Color Weekend? It never dawned on me that such a weekend wasn’t a thing. But, we thought that it was a great idea; so, this is us making it a thing”
The Crown and Anchor is the host venue for Men of Color Weekend, where there will be a series of dance parties over the weekend starting with the Lit & Lavish Summer Solstice Party on Friday, June 21, featuring a special performance by Nadya Plaything. Attendees are asked to dress in yellow, orange, or gold for the occasion. The festivities on Saturday begin with the Wet & Wild Pool Party in the afternoon followed that evening by the Kiss & Tell Glow in the Dark Party featuring a performance by hip-hop artist Kweeng Doll. The weekend wraps up with the Boozy & Bougie Brunch Party on Sunday afternoon. All of the events will feature DJ FrenchY, who often spins at the Men of Melanin Magic’s Boston events. While aimed at men, the group makes a point to hire women of color to DJ their events as so few opportunities exist for them otherwise.

The aim of much of the work of Men of Melanin Magic is to have fun, but to do so in a positive space with consideration to intersectionality. Queer and trans men of color, particularly in greater Boston, are acutely aware that in whatever setting they are, they may be the only person of color in the room in a predominately LGBT setting or, conversely, the only queer person in a largely person of color community. Men of Color Weekend is a gathering of people with that common experience providing a community of people in which there is a shared empowerment and uplifting spirit.

“I think a common denominator among queer people of color is to feel comfortable and safe in a space that we can call our own,” says Lamb. “That is hard to find in the Boston area. What we realize is that our events are popular because of that lack of representation. MoMM is a kind of grass roots push against that.”
While having no affiliation, all Men of Melanin Magic events follow the philosophy of Afropunk, the Brooklyn-based arts festival produced by black artists, which now has events in Atlanta, Paris, London, and Johannesburg, with the commitment to “No sexism, no racism, no ageism, no homophobia, no fatphobia, no transphobia, no hatefulness.” As individuals and organizations around the world seek to elevate and empower people of color, Men on Melanin Magic is bringing that spirit with them to Provincetown.

“We really resonated with the ethos of it, where everyone could be their full selves,” says Lamb. “One where love is a reality and not just an abstract term.”

Men of Melanin Magic presents Men of Color Weekend, Friday, June 21 through Sunday, June 23 at the Crown and Anchor, 247 Commercial St., Provincetown. For more information and tickets to events visit menofmelaninmagic.com or onlyatthecrown.com.