'My normal isn't your normal': Dominique Jackson on her latest ...

Growing up, Dominique Brebner faced the most traumatic of circumstances — from being rejected by her family for being a trans person to ... Entertainment Entertainment ‘Mynormalisn’tyournormal’:DominiqueJacksononherlatestseries,Pose LesleySimeon September28,201815:37IST Updated: September28,201815:37IST LesleySimeon September28,201815:37IST Updated: September28,201815:37IST Withhercritically-acclaimeddramaseriesPose,premieringinIndialastweek,DominiqueJacksontalksdiversity ShareArticle PRINT A A A Withhercritically-acclaimeddramaseriesPose,premieringinIndialastweek,DominiqueJacksontalksdiversity Growingup,DominiqueBrebnerfacedthemosttraumaticofcircumstances—frombeingrejectedbyherfamilyforbeingatranspersontolivingthroughhomelessness,roamingthestreetshuntingforsubsistence.Yearsdowntheline,inspiteofearningthetagofanacclaimedmodelandactress,sherecentlyfoundherselfinthemiddleofadisturbingincidentwhileholidayingintheCaribbeanislandofAruba.HavethingsgottenanybetterforBrebner,nowDominiqueJackson,andhercommunity?“Wehavetostartsomewhere;togetoutofthebarrelandseethesunlight,”saystheactress.RepresentationiskeyStartingoffasamodel,Jacksonhasstarredinanumberoffilmsandtelevisionseries,themostprominentbeingPose—aseriesrevolvingaroundtheundergroundballcultureinNewYorkCitybackinthe80s.Theseriesisthefirstofitskindtofeaturethelargestnumberoftransgendersonitscast—over50.Wheredoesthe43-year-old,whoplaysElektraAbundanceontheshow,standintheoverallschemeofthings?“It’sallaboutthecommunity.WhenIwouldwalkdowntherunwaybackinthelate90s,IcouldfeelthetensionfromotherswhoknewIwastransgender.Icouldseethejoyonthefacesofpeoplefrommycommunity,elatedtoseesomeonerepresentthem,”saysJackson,addinghowhergoaltoempowerhercommunityunderlineseverythingshedoes.RepresentationandmediaportrayalofmembersofhercommunityanditscultureareofprimeimportanceforJackson.ThoughthelanguageusedtorefertotheLGBTQAI+communityhasoftenclaimedtobeisolationistinnature,thingsareevolvingforthebetter.“Forexample,thewordtranny.Termslikethesewerecreatedwaybackinthe50sor60s.Now,theyusethewordtransgender.Thingsarechanging,languageischangingandthat’samarvelousthing.It’simportantthatpeoplegotheextramiletoknowbetterandnotsimplyassume.Takethetimeoutandaskuspolitely;askmewhatI’dliketobeaddressedby,”shesays.DiversitymattersJackson’spetpeeve,however,istheblanketterm—theword‘normal’hascometobe—especiallywhenusedasaliterarytooltosegregatecommunities.“Weallwanttobenormal,butit’srelativetoindividuality.Mynormalisnotyournormal.”Similarly,beyondacceptance,istheneedtorespectsomeoneforwhotheyare—forthevirtueofbeinghuman.“You’reactuallyputtingsomeonedownbysayingthatyoudon’tunderstandtheircultureandhenceit’snotnormal.Perhapssomethingswefind‘new’weresimplythingswewereignoranttoearlier,”saystheTrinidad-Americanstar.AtatimewhenIndiacelebratestheterminationofthedraconianSection377,forthePosestar,respectforfellowhumanbeingsshouldbethefoundationofthingsasweknowtoday.Onehastogetoutofeachothers’bedroomsandclosetsandunderstandthelargerpicture.“Forthelongesttimewejudgedpeopleforwhattheydidintheirbedroomorwhatwethoughttheydid.Thereareatonneofothersthingstodebateon—likeyoungwomenwhocan’tgotoschoolsbecausetheydonotgetsanitarynapkinsorthosewhohavetowork,”affirmsJackson.Aperson’swardrobeortheirchoiceoflifestylecannotdictatethekindofthingsorvocationstheyarecapableofbeingin.“Don’ttellmewhatIneed.Startlookingatthepeopleinfrontofyou,appreciatethediversityinthecommunity,respectit.Don’tdebateit,”sheasserts.PoseairsonStarWorldPremièreHDeverySundayat11pm. Ourcodeofeditorialvalues RelatedTopics TheHinduWeekend RelatedArticles CloseX AsprightlyperformancebyMalladiBrothers SandeepNarayanturnsNatakapriyadelineationinteresting MargazhiyilMakkalisaiisback TwintreatbyRagavanManian Lessonsfromadigital2021 AnelaborateKambojibyShruthiS.Bhat ArunaSairam’scollaborativevoyagecontinues Whenartistesperformfortheplanet ‘TheUnforgivable’moviereview:SandraBullockholdsherowninunconvincingdrama TheversatilePatnamSubramaniaIyer Thisarticleisclosedforcomments.PleaseEmailtheEditor Printableversion|Dec17,202112:30:58AM|https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/dominique-jackson-in-pose/article25068998.ece ©THGPUBLISHINGPVTLTD. 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