'X-Men' Fans Want Trans-Rights Activist Dominique ... - HuffPost

Over 6000 people think the 'Pose' star would make the perfect Storm. MainMenuU.S.EditionNewsU.S.NewsWorldNewsBusinessEnvironmentHealthCoronavirusSocialJusticePoliticsJoeBidenCongressExtremismEntertainmentCulture&ArtsMediaCelebrityTV&FilmLifeStyle&BeautyFood&DrinkParentingTravelWellnessRelationshipsMoneyHome&LivingWork/LifeShoppingCommunitiesQueerVoicesWomenBlackVoicesLatinoVoicesAsianVoicesSpecialProjectsHighlineHuffPostPersonalVideoHoroscopesFromOurPartnersTheLegacyLivesOnLevelUpYourGiftsNewslettersInternationalAustraliaBrazilCanadaEspañaFranceΕλλάδα(Greece)IndiaItalia日本(Japan)한국(Korea)QuébecU.K.U.S.FollowUsTerms | PrivacyPolicyPartofHuffPostNews.©2021BuzzFeed,Inc.Allrightsreserved. ThisarticleexistsaspartoftheonlinearchiveforHuffPostCanada,which closedin2021. “Cats,”amovieaboutliteralanthropomorphiccats,wasnotthebiggestboxofficefailureof2019.Forallitssprawling,inelegantcatastrophes—screamingcockroacheswithhumanfaces,last-minutere-editsofalarming“digitalfurtechnology”—themovie’sabsolutefailurewasoutpacedbythatof“DarkPhoenix,”thefinalinstalmentofthe“X-Men”franchise,whichclosedtheyearwithanimpressivenetlossof$133million.Well.Thefanshavebeendoingsomethinking.Andthefansthinkthat,ifthemoviereallydidsuck,orifnobodybotheredtowatchit,thenallMarvelhastodoisinfusethefranchisewiththemagicofmodernity,ofrepresentation,andaChange.orgpetitionhasemergedwithassuredadviceonhowtoachievejustthat:makeDominiqueJacksonthenextStorm.Advertisement Watch:DominiqueJacksonispushingformoreauthentictransstories.Storycontinuesbelow.“Marvel,youhaveanopportunitytoaddsomemuchneededdiversitytofilmsaswellasHollywood,”thepetitionreads.“The‘X-Men’franchisecouldberebootedwithnewfacesthatcorrectHollywood’shistoryofracismandtransphobiabygivingachancetoblacktransactorsandactresses.FansoftheX-Men’sStormfinallydeservetoseeanon-screenversionofherthatmatchesthestrongBlackwomanleaderwegrewupwithfromthecomicbooks.”Asofthiswriting,thepetitionisalmostatitstargetof7,5000signatures,whichmakestotalsensegivenJackson’sbelovedplaceintheculture.Incaseyou’renotfamiliarwithherwork,here’stheshort:DominiqueJacksonisanactress,author,model,andall-aroundballroomiconbestknownforherscene-stealingroleasElektraAbundanceonRyanMurphy’spopularTVseries,“Pose.”Theshowissetagainstthe1980sbackdropofNewYorkCity’sdragballroomcommunity,andJacksonisarguablyoneofthebestparts,wearinghereleganceandferociousnesslikeatightsecondskin.Advertisement Plus,communityseemstomeantheworldtoher.Shewasthegrandmarshalofthe2019NYCPrideMarch.She’safrequentadvocateforsocialchange.ShepartnerswithnonprofitsthatfightforLGBTQ+folk.Atthe23rdannualHumanRightsCampaignNationalDinner,shedeliveredanindeliblespeechabouttransrights.DominiqueJackson(2019)itsnotaboutussayingtosomeoneelsethatiacceptortolerateyou.youdonthavethepowertoacceptortolerateme.Itakethatfromyou.You’llrespectme.I’llnevereveraskanyofyouforrespect.I’lldemandit.You’llrespectmeforwhoIam.pic.twitter.com/f59jePlrFL—SistahCircleCollective(@sistah_circle)June14,2020 “Ifthere’sanyonethatcouldfillStorms[sic]capeitwouldbeMs.Jackson,”thepetitioncontinues.“FromfleeingpersecutionasatransgenderwomaninherhomecountryofTrinidadtobeingapioneerandleaderfortheBallroomandLGBTQcommunity,Ms.Jacksonknowswhatit’sliketofeel[like]anoutcast,onlytofindstrengthincommunity.”ThepetitiondrewfurtherparallelsbetweenJacksonandStorm,makingthewholethingseemlikethemostobviousdecisionintheworld:Jacksoncommandsscenes,likeStorm;shedeliversstrongmonologues,likeStorm;shehasanunbridledfierceness,likeStorm.Itjust...makessense.StormhaspreviouslybeenplayedbyHalleBerryandAlexandraShipp,butneverbyatranswoman.Infact,thoughX-Menisoftenreadassomemetaphorforqueernessandoppression—“mutant”outcastsstaringdownthebarrelofsystematicrejectionandcriminalization—Marvelhasneverhadatransgendersuperherointhehistoryofitsfilms,thoughit’sbeenrumouredthatthismightbechangingverysoon.(KevinFeige,presidentofMarvelStudios,announcedinJanuarythatamoviecurrentlyinproductionfeaturesatransgendercharacter,thoughhedidn’tspecifywhich.)Advertisement Jacksonfrequentlydiscussesthisfamiliardichotomyofmarginalizationandbelonging,andinaninterviewwithHuffPostCanadafrom2019,sheopenedupaboutthecontinued,brutalmurdersoftranswomenintheUnitedStates.“Transpeoplehavebeenrepeatedlytoldthatwedon’thavetherighttolive.AndBlackpeoplehavebeentoldthatbyourslavemastersandcontinuetobetoldthatbysociety.Wehave,generationally,bledthiskindofhatred,”saidJackson.“It’sahorribletimeforalotofus.Butthisisapushforustobeevenmoreresilient.Wehavetolookatitandsay,‘Wehavetofightforourrights.’”OnTwitter,too,fansareburstingwithjoyatthethoughtofJacksonasStorm:IwouldliketoannouncethatI'mrunningasanindependentMPwiththesoleaimofcampaigningtomakeDominiqueJacksonplayStorm—Veena'sSacrificedCup🏳️‍🌈🥨(@BarbaraDanish)June18,2020 IvebeenthinkingofDominiqueJacksonasStormforsolong—BrownSkinBoy🌻(@Holesbel)June15,2020 SinceIsawpeoplementionDominiqueJacksonasStormIcan’tgetitoutofmyhead.Sheliterallyhasherface!—🌷🌿♡Umaimah♡🍓🐞(@ColouredBraids)June18,2020 AnillustratorfromTorontohadalreadydrawnhowJacksonmightlookasStorm:ViewthispostonInstagramApostsharedbyMattSimas(@matts99)onJun14,2020at4:39pmPDT ThepetitionspreadsofarandwidethatevenJacksonherselfcaughtwindofit,andpostedascreenshotofittoInstagram,thankingherfansprofuselyforthesupportthey’vebeenshowingher.“It’snotevenaboutifMarvelseesthis,butjustknowingthatyouarevaluediswhatisimportantandmakesusallfeelhumanandrespectedasapartofcommunityandsociety!”shewrote.“SoIimploreyou,asyouupliftandempowerme,soshouldyouupliftandempowerthosearoundyouwhoworryeverydayifitcouldbetheirlast.”ViewthispostonInstagramApostsharedbyDominiqueT.A.RJackson(@dominiquet.a.r.jackson)onJun16,2020at10:34pmPDT Spokenlikeatruehero.RELATEDNewRyanMurphyShowWillHaveLargestCastOfTransgenderActorsEver'TransLivesMatter'ShouldBeTheNextMovement,Says'Pose'StarIGrappledWithWhetherToKeepHarryPotter.Here'sWhyIWon't.SuggestacorrectionMore:entertainmentlgbtqLifestyleNewstransgendermoviesConnorGarelAssociateEditor,HuffPostCanadaThisarticleexistsaspartoftheonlinearchiveforHuffPostCanada. 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