Dominique Jackson reveals how agreeing to Pose was a ...

"Having gone through bottom gender-reassignment surgery, I related to Elektra, because there is that sense of loss when you finally realise that ... Sunday,19December2021NZHeraldHomeMeettheJournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonSouthIslandNewZealandCrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironmentandClimateNZHeraldFocusDatajournalismKāhu,MāoriContentPropertyWeatherBusinessSmallBusinessOpinionPersonalFinanceEconomyBusinessTravelAPEC2021MoodoftheBoardroomPoliticsSportPremiumSportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuperRugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmericanSportsHockeyUFCRegionalNewsNZHLocalFocusTheNorthernAdvocateTheNorthlandAgeTheAucklanderWaikatoHeraldBayofPlentyTimesHawke'sBayTodayRotoruaDailyPostWhanganuiChronicleStratfordPressManawatuGuardianKapitiNewsHorowhenuaChronicleTeAwamutuCourierCovid-19Kāhu,MāoriContentPropertyOneRoofPropertyCommercialPropertyVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinionEntertainmentSpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitionsLifestyleFashion&BeautyFood&DrinkRelationshipsWellbeingPets&AnimalsVivaCanvasEatWellCompetitionsRestaurants&MenusTravelNewZealandTravelAustraliaTravelInternationalTravelOurGreenFutureRuralOneRoofPropertyJobMarketCareerAdviceCorporateNewsDrivenMotoringPhotosPuzzles&QuizzesSudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDailyquizzesClassifiedsWeatherKaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTeKuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNewPlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerstonNorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargillNZMENetworkNZHeraldTheNorthernAdvocateTheNorthlandAgeTheAucklanderWaikatoHeraldBayOfPlentyTimesRotoruaDailyPostHawke'sBayTodayWhanganuiChronicleTheStratfordPressManawatuGuardianKapitiNewsHorowhenuaChronicleTeAwamutuCourierVivaEatWellOneRoofDrivenMotoringTheCountryPhotoSalesNZHeraldInsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeartRadioRestaurantHubWEBSITEOFTHEYEARAPPOFTHEYEARAdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.Pose'sDominiqueJacksonsaysshewastoldshecouldloseherlifeoverjoiningtheshow.Photo/SuppliedByGeorgeFenwickGeorgeFenwickisanentertainmentwriterforTheNewZealandHerald.VIEWPROFILEFortransgendercommunities,livingastheirauthenticselvescanbeamatteroflifeordeath.Lastweek,theNewYorkTimesrevealedthattheTrumpAdministrationwasessentiallyseekingtoremovestaterecognitionoftransgenderidentitiesintheUnitedStates,apolicythatcouldaffecttransAmericansinareasofhealth,educationandjustice.Meanwhile,violentdiscriminationremainsrampantagainsttransandgendernon-binarypeople;accordingtotheHumanRightsCampaign,anti-transgenderviolenceiscurrentlyatarecordhighintheUS.Pose,aground-breakingshowfollowingvariouscollectives(knownas"houses")inNewYorkCity'sballroomcultureinthe1980and'90s,hasmadehistoryforhavingthelargesttransgendercastofanyshowinhistory.ButwhentheseriespremieredinJune,starDominiqueJacksonwasn'texcited.Instead,shewasplaguedbyfearandanxiety.AdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME."ItwasthemostpublicstepIwastaking,"shesays."MyfearwasthatnowIwasreallyanouttranswoman.Iwasn'tjustoutinmycommunity,Iwasn'tjustoutinsmallspacesandonline,Iwouldbeoutnowtotheentireworld."Therewereafewpeoplewhosaidtome,'Don'tdotheshow,becausepeoplearegoingtoknowexactlywhoyouare,andthenyou'regoingtoloseyourlife,'"shesays."Inmybook,TheTranssexualfromTobegoRevised,Iobituariseandmemorialiseabout2500transgendermenandwomenwhowerebrutallymurdered-raped,beheaded,burnedalive.Ithoughttomyself,'Whoa.Thiscouldhappentoyounow'."Thoughhersafetywasonhermind,JacksonknewPosewassomethingsheneededtodo."IrealisedthatIcouldn'tliveinabox,"shesays."Itwasnotforme.Ihadtostepout,andIhadtotakethisrisk."DominiqueJacksonasElektraAbundanceinPose.Photo/SuppliedButPose'svitalityhelpeditwinfavourwithcritics;theshowbrokethroughwitha97percentratingonRottenTomatoesandaswiftsecond-seasonorder.RelatedarticlesBusinessTVNZmaychargeKiwisforonlineTVnextyear24Oct,201807:30AMQuickReadEntertainmentHiddenplotfromNetflix'sTheHauntingofHillHouse26Oct,201807:29PMQuickReadEntertainmentSabrinatheTeenageWitchcastreunite,15yearslater26Oct,201808:00PMQuickReadBusinessInsideNetflix'sfiringculture27Oct,201812:59AMQuickReadJacksonsaysthatafterthepremiere,friendswhowerewaryatfirstlaterpraisedherforherrole."They'veallsaidtome,'Wearesohappythatallofyoudidthis,becauseyou'renotlivinginthecomfortofHollywood',"shesays.AdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME."Someofusstillliveintheneighbourhoodsthatwegrewupin,thatwe'velivedinfor20years.Iliveinanapartmentbuildingwithabout500people.Soonepersonseesthisshow,andI'mcominginat1or2o'clockinthemorning-thatcanbemylife."Butbecauseofthis,otherwomenandmencannowshowupforroles.AndMrMurphy[showcreatorRyanMurphy]hasgivenusthisopportunityandwehavetotakeit."Wehavetocontinuetoempowereachother…wedonothavetoliveinthismarginalisation,wedonothavetoliveinoppression,butourfighttogetoutofitisnotgoingtobeaneasyone."InPose,JacksonplaysElektraAbundance,motherofthelegendaryHouseofAbundance,whodominatesthelate-nightballs.JacksonidentifieswithElektraonaverypersonallevel;aftermovingtoNewYorkin1990,sheherselfcameupthroughNewYork'sballroomculture.ShewastakenunderthewingofthesamekindofHouseMotherfiguresheportrays-andlaterbecameoneherself.Shootingtheballroomsceneswasajoy,saysJackson;notonlydidittakeherbacktoherpast,buttheopulentcostumesandextravagantperformancesallowedhertoexpressapartofheridentitysheadores."Ilovebeingglamorous,"shesays."That'sonethingIrelatetoElektraabout.WheneverIhavetogooutordosomething,itmustbeglamour.Womenareverydifferent,butthewomanIwishtobeistheultra-femmegirl,andit'snotsomethingthat'sinstilledinme,it'sjustsomethingthatwhenIlookinthemirror,it'showIwanttopresentmyself."AdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.DominiqueJackson:'WheneverIhavetogoout,itmustbeglamour'.Photo/SuppliedHollywoodhasachequeredpastoftellingtransstories-cisgenderactorshavecontinuallybeencastintransroles,andsubsequentlypraisedfordoingso.Thetideisslowlychanging;ScarlettJohanssonrecentlydroppedoutofplayingatransmaninthefilmRub&Tug,afterinitiallydefendinghercastingbycomparingittoperformerssuchasEddieRedmayne(TheDanishGirl)andJeffreyTambor(Transparent)."I'velearnedalotfromthe[trans]communitysincemakingmyfirststatementaboutmycastingandrealiseitwasinsensitive,"Johanssonsaidviaastatementannouncingherdeparture."Iamthankfulthatthiscastingdebate,albeitcontroversial,hassparkedalargerconversationaboutdiversityandrepresentationinfilm."TransactressTracyLysette(Transparent)pointedoutthatitwasn'tjustaboutJohansson'scisgenderidentity–it'sthattranspeoplearen'tgettingaseatatthetable."Iwouldn'tbeasupsetifIwasgettinginthesameroomsasJenniferLawrenceandScarlettforcisroles,butweknowthat'snotthecase."Poseisthekindofculturalphenomenonthatletsawealthoftranstalentthroughthedoor-whilealsoallowingthemtotelltheirownstorieswithauthenticity.AdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.JacksonhasadeepandpersonalconnectionwiththeemotionaljourneyinElektra'scharacterarc,whichincludesherundergoinggender-affirmingsurgery."Havinggonethroughbottomgender-reassignmentsurgery,IrelatedtoElektra,becausethereisthatsenseoflosswhenyoufinallyrealisethatit'syourtruth,"shesays."[Thesestorylines]areextremelyimportantbecausethesocietalviewofthesethingsisveryignorant,"shesays."Nowthatthey'reseeingitplayoutonscreen,itisnotjustaboutentertainment–it'saboutthestorybehindthat,thereasoningbehindthat.It'seducatingandentertaining."[Murphy's]humilityallowedhimtosay,'Youguystellmehowthisissupposedtobe.'Theyhiredpeoplewhowereofballroom,andpeoplewholivedinthattime.Andthesepeoplewerehiredtohelpthemwithnarratingthestory,andmakingeverythingasauthenticasitcouldpossiblybe."DominiqueJackson'sElektraleadsthewinningHouseofAbundanceinPose.Photo/SuppliedAstheshowprogressed,Jacksonwouldreceivemoreandmoremessagesfromfansthankingherfortheshow-sayingtheyfounditinspirationalandmeaningful."Imadeapostoneday,andIwasthankingtheLGBTQIA+communityforwatchingtheshow,andafewguysDMedme,andtheywerelike,'StraightmenwatchPosetoo!'"We'vehadpeoplecontactingus,tellingusthatthey'regoingtoreachouttotheirtransgenderfamilymembersandtrytomakeamends,becauseuntiltheysawPose,theydidnotrealisethelivesthatwelive."Theydidnotrealisehowmuchweweremarginalisedandoppressed,andthatwestillfoughttobewhoweare.Thatwestillfoundandcreatedthisballculturethatgaveusvalidation,thatletusknowthatwewerehumanbeings,thathelpedustocontinueourcraftandbewhoweare."AdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.LOWDOWN:Who:DominiqueJacksonWhat:PoseWhere:PremieresonSoHo2nextSaturdayandstreamingnowonNeonAdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.LatestfromEntertainmentEntertainmentToniStreet'sfamilyjoy:'MymostexcitingChristmasyet'17Dec,202105:00PM7minutestoreadEntertainmentLordoftheRingscastpulloffhilarious20-yearreunionsurprise18Dec,202104:25AM2minutestoreadEntertainmentRustshooting:AlecBaldwindeniesclaimheaskedforabiggergun17Dec,202109:25PM2minutestoreadEntertainmentInsidethefascinatinglivesofEminem'skids17Dec,202111:02PM4minutestoreadEntertainmentTheCrownpausesfilmingamidpositiveCovidcasesonset17Dec,202107:29PM2minutestoreadMostPopularNewZealandPM'swedding:Billionaire'shomesteadvenue,Lordetosing18Dec,202105:24AM6minutestoreadNewZealand300hablazeburnsinNorthland18Dec,202105:41AMQuickReadNewZealand'Alwayslivedlifeto110%':Family,schoolmournlossofformerheadgirl17Dec,202105:00PM5minutestoreadAdvertisementAdvertisewithNZME.TOP