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LGBTQ+ young adults experience a summer in Provincetown
Summer of Sass transforms lives by offering a much needed break to LGBTQI 18-20 year olds from oppressive areas in the US. A summer in the welcoming community of Provincetown, Mass to live and work where they are celebrated.
“ Summer of Sass is an invitation for those seeking self-discovery, independence, lifelong friendships, and a beautiful challenge.”
“Sharing a home with eight others created bonds that words can’t fully capture—connections built through shared meals, late-night talks, everyday adventures, and the unique closeness that only comes from growing and living together.
It gave me not just an unforgettable summer, but a part of myself I hadn’t yet discovered.”
Amarii - Sasser ‘24
OOPS….we did it AGAIN?
Thanks to an extraordinary gift from a second anonymous donor, Summer of Sass has entered into an agreement to purchase 265 Commercial Street.
This creates a powerful new opportunity to expand programming, deepen our impact, and build a more SASStainable future. This new property will allow us to grow the ways we serve LGBTQ+ young people while also creating revenue-generating space that helps support the organization long term. Now, we need community support to help furnish and outfit the commercial kitchen so this space can become fully functional, mission-aligned, and ready to serve.
Volunteer with us in 2026!
It takes a fishing village.
A queer lil’ fishing village.
Want to help us keep Provincetown accessible to future LGBTQ+ young adults? Fill out the form below. We are looking for people to help us spread the word of Sass as well as general help onsite for events and more.
Fill out the form below and we will contact you
Have a skill you think we need? Let us know!
Why become a monthly donor?
Donate $20/month to Summer of Sass and positively impact the lives of young queer people forever. All for the price of just one lunch.
Donation supports travel costs and initial rent for some, initial work clothes purchases, and overall "settling in costs"
All donations are tax deductible per the laws in your state
Forever impact the lives of LGBTQ+ young adults
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
We’re proud to announce a major milestone in our SASStainability Capital Campaign:
Summer of Sass is officially solar-powered.
This installation marks a powerful step toward reducing our environmental impact while strengthening the long-term sustainability of our program. By harnessing clean, renewable energy, we’re not only lowering operational costs—we’re modeling the kind of future we want our participants to inherit and lead.
This milestone was made possible in part through the Tern Foundation’s TernSOLAR challenge grant program, which is designed to expand renewable energy use in Massachusetts communities and make solar technology more accessible to nonprofit organizations. The program supports dynamic nonprofits whose leaders engage creatively with their communities while prioritizing future generations and environmental stewardship. Since 2010, the Tern Foundation has funded over 30 projects and associated environmental education initiatives.
“This is a huge moment for us,” said Kristen Becker, founder of Summer of Sass. “Our SASStainability campaign is about more than reducing costs—it’s about modeling what it looks like to invest in the future. Our participants don’t just experience a safe and affirming summer here; they also see firsthand what it means to care for a home, a community, and the planet.”
This is just the beginning. Future phases of the SASStainability campaign will continue to build toward a more resilient, environmentally responsible future.
Welcome to Provincetown
Award winning audio documentarian Mitra Kaboli embedded herself into Provincetewn for the summer, and created one of the “best podcasts of 2022” acccording to the NY Times. Summer of Sass and it’s founder Kristen Becker were fortunate enough to be featured in Kaboli’s work .
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
“Their stories — supported with evocative sound design and editing — paint a transporting portrait of a sun-kissed community struggling to make its future as bright as its past.”
Home is where the is
A fundraiser at the Mary Heaton Vorse house in 2022 led to an anonymous $3.7-million donation that allowed the program to buy the Stowaway Guest House at 210 Bradford St. and convert it into a permanent home for the nonprofit.
The Victorian 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom property purchased is located on a third of an acre and dates to 1880. This will allow Summer of Sass to QUADRUPLE the number of Sassers we serve. Becker sees the $3.7 million home as symbolic of the way Provincetown must pledge to care for its own future.
Since annual operational expenses now increase fourfold with the addition of permanent housing and meeting space, she hopes community members will be similarly inspired to commit to recurring tax-deductible donations.
Our Story
Summer of Sass (SoS) is the brain child of comedian and activist, Kristen Becker.
What started as a simple idea is rapidly growing into an opportunity to radically transform the lives of LGBTQ+ 18-20 year olds.
SoS offers young adults a summer experience in Provincetown (Ptown),a tourist destination known for its acceptance and celebration of those things that make each of us unique.
We subsidize travel costs and initial housing as Sassers get settled in, connect them with local employers and provide support, outings and mentorship as we widen their perspective and help them build their self confidence in an accepting community.
Board of Directors
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I have always had a strong sense of civic duty instilled into me my fundamentalist born-again Christian parents (yes, they do exist in the UK). My parents also instilled into me the evils of homosexuality, women working outside the home, film, music and associations with non-Christians. Needless to say the latter values didn’t resonate with me!
For over 10 years I volunteered with homeless charities in London. Firstly, for a homeless hostel for young people, where many of the clients had been kicked out of their homes for being gay/trans and then with Crisis, providing accommodation & services for homeless people, which included many ex-military & immigrant clients. In the US I volunteered with Coalition for the Homeless for 4 years. These experiences have given me an incredible insight into the multiple reasons that people end up on the streets and how it really can happen to anyone. I am pretty sure if it had come out whilst still under my parents roof I would have been sent to conversion therapy or ended up on the street.
These days I work in real estate with my lovely wife & manage our vacation rental business, amongst other things.
I am honored to have been asked to join the board and I hope I can contribute to giving these young people a wonderful life affirming
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Ryan Fortwendel is an entrepreneur and funder working across environmental, social justice and humanitarian spaces. In his previous career, Ryan was an e-commerce director at fashion label Marc Jacobs, and most recently the founder of Minna, a venture-backed beverage driven by its social mission of inclusion. Ryan is also on the board of The Global Whole Being Fund, a global philanthropic fund that resources Community and Refugee-Led Organizations supporting displaced people in over sixty-five countries. From his experience in these roles, Ryan strives to bring operational and fundraising expertise, unequivocal support for founders, as well as his relationships with other nonprofits. Ryan splits his time between NYC and Provincetown.
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Dr. Glenn-Smith is President and CEO for The Learning Center for the Deaf. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, appointed by Senate President Karen Spilka in 2020. She has served as Treasurer, and was elected to her current role as Commission Chairwoman in July of 2022. Prior to joining TLC, Dr. Glenn-Smith worked for Kaleida Health, the largest healthcare system in Western New York, as both a CEO for their joint radiology venture, and, later, as President of Ambulatory Services. Applying her passion for education, she worked for six years at PLS 3rd Learning, an international education technology company, as Chief Operating Officer, and brings extensive experience in the conception, development and execution of strategic and tactical financial, organization and development initiatives. Dr. Glenn-Smith has also held the roles of Chief Administrative Officer for the healthcare management group, Exigence, and Executive Director of Deaf Adult Services, in Buffalo, New York. Sarah grew up in Southern California, earned her Executive Master's Degree in Business Administration at State University of New York at Buffalo, and both a Masters and Doctorate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She currently resides in Massachusetts with her wife, children, and too many dogs.
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Michael Goff and Andy Towle have owned and operated one of the few independent gay news sites left, Towleroad.com since 2005. Goff is CEO of their parent company, AskTell Media which represents sites/blogs to advertisers and works with brands as RSVPtown to reach the unique Provincetown audience online, in person, and all the other ways and they have published Ptown Hacks, a summer guide to LGBT beach town for the last 6 years. His first visit to Provincetown in 1990 was perfect, relaxed and in love. Downhill from there.
Michael Goff started working on the editorial side of a few established and start up magazines including Esquire, Smart, Paper and others. He is the founder of Out magazine which he built to the biggest gay title along with out.com. He went on as General Manager of Microsoft's MSN creating their first iteration on the web; and advised and invested in a number of internet startups. A few were successful and even acquired including Blogger, TreeHugger, NowPublic.
An activist with ACTUP NY in 1989-92, he was a founding board member of ACRIA, a community research entity in Manhattan, now part of GMHC, and In 2003-5 he volunteered for Clinton Foundation, leading the team in Haiti Haiti and the Eastern Caribbean States in creating treatment plans for each country.
He likes dogs and long walks in the sun.
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Kia Barnes is a stand up comedienne, as well as an advocate for equality and diversity within the LGBTQ community. Her repertoire also includes event production, education, entertainment, and she’s a reputable social media influencer.
A former teacher and researcher, Kia chaired Atlanta Public School’s LGBTQ Taskforce’s Curriculum and Policy Board, and she also sits on the Fulton County District Attorney’s LGBTQ Inclusion Board.
Kia also served on the city’s first LGBTQ Advisory Board under Mayor Keisha Bottoms. More Abut Kia at www.KiaBarnes.com -
Lukus Estok brings a passion for advocacy and community-building to his role on the Summer of Sass Executive Board. In 2020, after a decade of visiting Provincetown seasonally, he and his husband made it their home, inspired by its transformative impact as a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community.
With a background in hospitality, nonprofit advocacy, and strategic messaging honed through the blood-equality movement and work with State Senator Julian Cyr, Lukus is dedicated to supporting queer youth. His work with Summer of Sass reflects his commitment to creating opportunities for self-discovery and belonging in a welcoming and affirming environment.
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Kelly Fields is a chef and author of The Good Book of Southern Baking (Lorena Jones Books, 2020). Fields has traveled extensively and worked internationally throughout her career, garnering national recognition at the helm of her former restaurant, Willa Jean. Fields was awarded the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Pastry Chef award in 2019. In addition, Fields has been featured in Saveur, Bon Appétit, National Geographic and Food & Wine among others.
In 2016 Eater New Orleans awarded Fields the “Chef of the Year” and “Reader’s Choice" Awards and Dessert Professional Magazine included Fields as one of the “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in North America.” She was featured in Garden & Gun Magazine's “Most Influential Women of the South," and listed in Southern Living Magazine as one of the “Five Best Kitchen Magicians of the South.”
Fields’ most recent achievement, The Good Book of Southern Baking, has been named one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Bon Appétit, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Garden & Gun, and The LA Times.
more about kelly at www.chefkellyfields.com
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Sponsors
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![Logo for The Palette Fund with red background, white text, and an orange brushstroke underline.]()
The foundation supports trailblazers creating change throughout the world and places a priority on funding collaborative partnerships among organizations that strengthen the health and leadership of the LGBTQ and Provincetown, Massachusetts community.
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![Logo for Adam's Nest featuring white text and a house icon with a flower outline on a blue background.]()
Politically engaged, socially conscious, spiritually connected, a bit naughty, queer & visible. Art, apparel, jewelry, whatnot! We call Provincetown our happy place. We march to our own beat. We believe in love, equality, justice, and freedom.
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![Logo with yellow background and pink cursive text reading 'Land's End' above black text reading 'FOUNDATION'.]()
Land’s End Foundation’s mission is to support and enable queer community, Provincetown community, the arts, and mindfulness.
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![Logo of Kohi Coffee Co. featuring a stylized geometric elephant head on a bright green background.]()
We are focused on providing delicious tasting coffee, espresso and tea beverages...one cup at a time. Established in Provincetown, MA (2014), Kohi Coffee Company is a locally owned and operated business.
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![Graphic illustration of a wave with the word 'SALTWATER' above it and text 'NO ONE TODAY' below, with a textured background.]()
Since we began, Sal’s Place has thrown us a fundraiser every summer. We are not exaggerating when we say this event helps keep us afloat every year.. We are grateful to the owners, management and staff that VOLUNTEER their services. Go EAT AT SAL’s.
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![Logo for Towleroad Gay News with a large red lowercase 't' before the text, which reads 'Towleroad Gay News' in white, blue, and red letters on a dark blue background.]()
Towleroad began in 2003 and is now a leading online news source offering a broad range of information on politics, pop culture, gay culture, media, entertainment, photography, fashion, technology, men, music, and travel.
