Transgender actress Dominique Jackson shares struggle to ...

Transgender actress Dominique Jackson shares struggle to find acceptance ... “I was so determined to prove I wasn't this abomination everybody ... Signin Home News Campus Community InternationalCampuses COVID-19Coverage Opinion Columns Editorials LetterstotheEditor Entertainment GorlokTalk Lifestyle CampusLife Profiles Sports Multimedia GalaxyRadio TheAmpersand Video Photography Audio SpecialProjects COVID-19Coverage BeyondSkinDeep 2008KirkwoodShooting St.LouisGunViolence GatewaytoLittleBosnia MadeInTranslation St.LouisImmigration TexasImmigration PalozolaProject TheJournalOnAir ContactUs Signin Welcome!Logintoyouraccount yourusername yourpassword Forgotyourpassword? Passwordrecovery Recoveryourpassword youremail Search TheJournalTheNewsSourceforWebsterUniversity Saturday,December18,2021 OurStaff TheGalaxyRadio Ampersand TheJournalOnAir FacebookInstagramTwitter Home News Campus Community InternationalCampuses COVID-19Coverage Opinion Columns Editorials LetterstotheEditor Entertainment GorlokTalk Lifestyle CampusLife Profiles Sports Multimedia GalaxyRadio TheAmpersand Video Photography Audio SpecialProjects COVID-19Coverage BeyondSkinDeep 2008KirkwoodShooting St.LouisGunViolence GatewaytoLittleBosnia MadeInTranslation St.LouisImmigration TexasImmigration PalozolaProject TheJournalOnAir ContactUs Search HomeNewsCampusTransgenderactressDominiqueJacksonsharesstruggletofindacceptance Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp “IwassodeterminedtoproveIwasn’tthisabominationeverybodysaidIwas,”JacksonsaidattheOct.17fallheadlinersevent. ActressDominiqueJackson,atransgenderactivist,becamewell-knownintheNewYorkballroomsceneinthe1990s. FromfleeingpersecutionasatransgenderwomaninherhomecountryofTrinidadandTobagotostarringintelevisionhits,DominiqueJacksonhasseenitall.Afterexperiencinghomelessnessandrejectionfromherownfamily,Jacksonhasusedhersuccesstoshedlightontheissuestransgenderwomenlikeherselftoooftenface. JacksoncametoWebsteronOct.17aspartoftheMulticulturalCenterandInternationalStudentAffairs(MCISA)series,“Fluidity:DeconstructingGenderRolesandStereotypes.” Jacksonstarsin“Pose,”anFXtelevisionseriesabouttheAfricanAmericanandLatinxLGBTQ+gender-nonconformingballroomculturesceneinthe1980sand1990s.“AmericanGods,”afantasydramatelevisionseriesonStarz,recentlyrecruitedJacksontostarintheupcomingthirdseason.  ForJackson,her“Pose”character,ElektraAbundance,ismorethanjustsomeonesheplaysinfrontofthecameras.SheisarepresentationofwhatJacksonandmanytransgenderwomengothroughwhentheylosetheirfamiliesaftercomingout. Jacksonspentmuchoftheeventtalkingaboutherrelationshipwithhermother.Jacksonsaidformuchofherlife,hermotherhasnotacceptedJackson’sgenderidentity.Jacksonsaidshewentmanyyearswithoutcontactafterhermotherrefusedtoaddressherdaughterbyfemininepronouns. “Mymothertoldme,‘Iwilltolerateyou,butIwon’tacceptyou,’”Jacksonsaid. Jacksondescribeshermotherasa“west-Indiandeaconwhogoestochurchfourtimesaweekandpraysmultipletimesaday.”WhenJackson’smothertoldherthatheridentitywentagainstGod’sword,Jacksonrespondedbyhangingupthephone.Shewouldcontinuetoremindhermotherwhoshewas,butsherefusedtogetintoverbalaltercations. “IwassodeterminedtoproveIwasn’tthisabominationeverybodysaidIwas,”Jacksonsaid. Jackson’sexperiencewithhermotherstoodinstarkcontrasttothatofaudiencemembersNathanandNoahLowery,whoattendedtheeventwiththeirmother,JoannaLowery. AccordingtoLowery,herchildrenintroducedhertoJacksonwhentheystartedwatching,“Pose.” “Theysaid,‘Hey,comewatchthis,’andIhavebeenwatchingeverythingIcantokeepupwiththemandlearnwhattheirlivesareabout,”Lowerysaid.“Myhusbandwatchesitwithme.” LowerysaidJackson’sinsistenceandcouragetobeherselfresonatedwithherexperienceswithhertwochildren.Noah,whoidentifiesasgay,andNathan,whoidentifiesasnonbinary,accompaniedtheirmothertothetalk. JoannaLowery(left)speakswithWebsterstudentsandattendeestotheOct.17discussionledbyDominiqueJackson. Lowerysaidsheoftenseespeople,includingfamilymembers,rejectherchildrenforwhotheyare. “Icannotstandfor[thatrejection],andIdon’twantthatforthem,”Lowerysaid. “Ithurtsme.”   JacksonhasbeenaninspirationtoLowery’s childrensimplyforbeingcomfortablewithwhosheis,shesaid. “I’mjustproudandwantthemdowhatshe’sdone–insistonbeingwhotheyareandgoforit,”Lowerysaid. ForLowery,theworkdoesnotstopatacceptingherchildrenforwhotheyare.Shesaidsheconstantlylooksfornewwaystosupportthesiblings. “IstillsitandstressoverwhatI’mnotdoing,”Lowerysaid. JacksonpointedtoLoweryduringhertalk.ShetoldLowerytostandupandtelltheaudiencewhyshecametotheevent.WhenLowerysaidshecamewithhertwochildren,Dominiqueledtheaudienceinaroundofapplause. AccordingtoJackson,transalliescandoalottosupportthepeopletheycareabout.Shesaiditoftenstartsbystickingupfortransgenderpeoplewhenitmightbedangerousforthemtofightback.Jacksoncitedtherecentviolenceagainstmanytransgenderwomen,including26murdersin2018.Shesaidtherearemanytimeswhenitisnotsafeforhertoeducatethosewhodonotacceptheridentity. “Whenwespeakuptothem,oneofusmaydie,”Jacksonsaid. Sharethispost ColeSawyer Website | +posts ColeSawyer https://websterjournal.com/author/csawyer/ BREAKING:RecentWebstergraduatediesfromCOVID-19 ColeSawyer https://websterjournal.com/author/csawyer/ CountyconsolidatesWebsterintosinglevotingprecinct ColeSawyer https://websterjournal.com/author/csawyer/ CommunicationsCareerWeekkicksoffinSverdrup ColeSawyer https://websterjournal.com/author/csawyer/ Author,actressPerriGaffneyperformsexcerptfromone-personplay Related RelatedPosts ActressLaverneCoxcomingtoWebsterTheEmmyAward-nomineewillbevisitingWebstertoexploretransgenderrightswithstudentsandfaculty. AlumnusSethJacksonreturnstoWebster'slightinganddesignprogramWebsteralumnusreturnstoteachinthedepartmentthattaughthim. TransgenderbasketballplayerdiscussessexualityjourneyKyeAllumsoncetoldcoach,"IthinkIamaman." 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