“I went through the fire, now I am the fire:” 'Pose' star ...

Pose star Dominique Jackson speaks with K Richardson at the Carl A. ... the conversation was hosted jointly by the Gender and Sexuality ... Masthead Advertise ContactUs News U.Affairs StudentLife GradSchool Local Alumni Q&A Activism USG Research Academics Obituaries Opinion Column LettertotheEditor LetterfromtheEditor GuestSubmission OpenLetter Editorial Reactions Sports SportsNews SportsRecaps SportsPreviews InsideLooks SportsProfilesandInterviews Columns Features Profiles Retrospectives Investigations TheProspect Arts Entertainment Lifestyle Self Multimedia Video Podcast VisualEssays Cartoon Newsletter Subscribe Projects Puzzles SpecialIssues Satire Sponsored Tryourlatestcrossword ListentoDaybreakfortheday’sbiggeststories FollowusonInstagram NEWS “Iwentthroughthefire,nowIamthefire:”‘Pose’starDominiqueJacksontalksself-preservation,identityforTransremembranceweek PosestarDominiqueJacksonspeakswithKRichardsonattheCarlA.FieldsCenter.  PhotocourtesyofErinMacanze‘24 AndrewSomerville November19,2021|12:04amEST ContentWarning:Includesreferencestotargetedviolence. Toaroomfullofstudents,staff,andotherattendees,“Pose”starDominiqueJacksonwelcomedaconversationonidentityandperseveranceattheCarlA.FieldsCenterforEqualityandCulturalUnderstandingonNov.18. ADVERTISEMENT AspartoftheTransWeekofRemembranceseries,theconversationwashostedjointlybytheGenderandSexualityResourceCenter(GSRC),theGenderandSexualityStudiesprogram,andtheOfficeofReligiousLife(ORL),andmoderatedbyCommunicationsManagerfortheTransgenderLawCenterKRichardson. AfterintroductionsbyAssistantDeanoftheOfficeofDiversity&InclusionKristopherOliveiraandAssistantDirectoroftheGSRCEricR.Anglero,Richardsonencouragedthoseinattendancetoparticipateinamomentofsilencetohonorthelossofmembersofthetranscommunity. RichardsonthenencouragedJacksontoshareherstoryofhowshecameintoherselfasatranswoman,aqueeractivistleader,andasuccessfulmodelandactress. “Fromtheageoffour,[myparents]hadtoexplaintomewhyIwasn’tagirl,”shesaid. JacksonwasborninTrinidadandTobago,andsaidattheeventthatthecultureofherhomeislandimpededherself-expression. “Intheirhead,[myparents]wereteachingmealesson,”shesaid,referencingherparents’insistencethatJacksonwasnottransgender.“Theyweredoingwhattheythoughtasparentswasthebestthingtheycoulddoforme.” ADVERTISEMENT Overtime,Jacksonsaid,shecametorealizethatheridentitycouldpersistwithoutdisrespectingthosearoundher.Shewentontoenterthemodelingindustry,inspiredbymodelslikeNaomiCampbellandTyraBankstopersevereinthefaceofadversity.Still,itwasamixedsenseofpainandcouragethatlaterhelpedherbreakoutintotheactingindustry. “IwatchedAngelaBassettplayTinaTurner,”shesaid.“Andthatwaspowerforme.” Jacksonsaidthatshewasoftendoubtedandlookeddownuponduetobeingtransgender,butdidnotletthisdiscourageher. “BringmeyourproofthatIamnotsupposedtobeme,”shesaid,speakingatthosethatwouldjudgeherlifestyle.“Ifyoucan’tbringmeproof,pleaseshutupandgetoutofmyway.” Getthebestof‘thePrince’deliveredstraighttoyourinbox.Subscribenow» TheaudienceengagedenthusiasticallywithJackson,snappingandclappingwhenherpointsresonated. WhenJacksonsaidsherefusedtolivealifeinlimbo,rejectinguncertaintyandquestioning,theline“Allofthose‘maybes’werenotforme;Ididn’tevenknowbeescameoutinMay,”pulledalaughfromtheaudience. AfteraskingJacksonabouthersupportsystems,Richardsonshiftedthediscussionto“Pose.”AdramaseriesthatranforthreeseasonsonFX,“Pose”explorestheballroomsceneinNewYorkCityinthe1980s.JacksonplayedtheprincipalroleofElektraAbundanceEvangelista,motherofthehouseofAbundance.Elektraisknownforherquickwitandabilityto“readanyoneforfilth”iftheycrossher. Richardsonemphasizedthischaracter,askingJackson,“HowmuchofElektrais[yourpersonality],andhowmuchof[yourpersonality]isElektra?” Jackson’sresponsewasimmediate:“Sometimesweareafraidofourselvesuntilweseeitinsomeoneelse,”shesaid. Elektra’scharacterisoftencruelandselfishtoachieveherownends,somethingthatJacksonemphasizedhasmadeherthinkintrospectively. “Formyownhappiness,Ihadtostopcriticizingandjudgingothers,”shesaid. However,JacksonalsobroughtupthatElektraremindedherofherowndriveanddetermination. “[Elektra]wasthewomanthatsaid‘Byallmeansnecessary,Iwillsurvive,’”shesaid.“AndIwilldoitfabulously.” RichardsonthenaskedmorebroadlyaboutJackson’sexperienceworkingon“Pose.” “Itwasbittersweet,”shesaid,explaininghowherplatformledhertofeelvalidation,butalsofear.ShesharedananecdoteaboutbeingonatraininManhattanaftertheshowaired,andalargemanapproachingher. “Heleanedovermeandsaid,‘Areyouinthatshow?’”Jacksontoldthecrowd.She’dpanicked,worriedshemightbekilledonthespot. “Andthenhepulledbackandhesaid‘Goodjob,’”shesaid,andasighwasheardinthecrowd.“IgotoffatLexingtonandIhaveneverbeenbackonthetraineversince.” Afterthelaughterdieddown,Jacksoncontinuedabouthowherfamehaspenetratedeveryaspectofherprivatelife. Sheexplainedthatshehasreceiveddeaththreatsfromseveraloutlets,includinginperson.Atthebeginningof“Pose,”Jacksonhiredabodyguardtoprotectherininstanceslikethose. Shetoldthecrowdthatthemanshehiredasherbodyguardiscurrentlyherfiancé,receivingapplauseandcongratulationsfromtheaudience. “Foratranswomantofindapersonthatlovedme,letmeknowlovecouldexist,”shesaid.“Loveissomethingthatweshouldallbeabletoexperienceandfeelsafedoingso.” RichardsonendedtheirquestioningportionoftheconversationwithaquestionaboutJackson’sradiantpersonality. “Howdoyouputlightintootherpeople?Howdoyoucontinuetofindthestrengthtopourlightontoothers?”hesaid. Jacksontalkedaboutherstrugglesinapastmarriage,whenshewasdealingwithherownidentityandrefusinghelpfromothers. “Iwentthroughthefire,nowIamthefire,”shesaid,elicitingalargepositiveresponsefromthecrowd. RichardsonthenallowedthreeaudiencememberstoaskJacksonaquestion.Jacksonansweredquestionsaboutfindingloveasayoungqueerpersonofcolor,findingpeaceinstressfultimes,andherownspirituality. ThetalkendedwithAngleropresentingashirtwitha‘P’onit,shadedinwiththetransprideflagcolors.Whilehandingherthegift,hesaidJacksonwouldbewelcomebackanytime. 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