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I’m sorry Queen Sugar and the Hershey Kiss that is actor Kofi Siriboe, but the series Pose which premiered on the FX network in June is having the best summer ever. The show gives a realistic and respectful look into the ballroom culture of New York City in the 1980’s and boasts an impressive cast of transgender actresses who bring life, light and love into living rooms every Sunday. In addition, the show tackles issues that greatly impacted the LGBTQ community at the time including the HIV epidemic as well as issues that still affect many people today including body image, acceptance and the highs and lows that come with chasing your dreams.
Before the show snagged the popularity crown, actress Dominique Jackson partnered with ESSENCE to spread awareness about what it means to be transgender and gave an important lesson on the difference between tolerance and respect. Rachel Bluebond-Langner, MD, Perlmutter, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone also talked about the importance of gender-reaffirming surgery helping people to live in their truth. Jackson who plays the fabulous house mother not to be f’ed with, “Elektra Abundance” shares that contrary to beliefs of some, gender-reaffirming surgery is not about deception or playing a role. It’s about people being able to truly own who they are in every way, physically, mentally and emotionally. She hopes her story will help others on similar paths:
“I’m so proud to be able to share my story with others who might be going through a similar process with their identity.”
“It’s been a long road of self-transformation for me, and I’m so grateful for the care I received at NYU Langone with Dr. Rachel Bluebond-Langer, one of the best transgender surgery specialists in the country. I hope that others will feel less alone after hearing about stories like mine.”
Jackson is proof that even fame doesn’t offer any advantage when it comes to people’s intolerance. People reports she took to Instagram last month alleging that a man attempted to rape her while she was on vacation with her husband in Aruba. In the videos which have since been deleted, Jackson says she and her spouse were asked to leave Barcelo Resort after she called the police on the man. She did not identify the man only revealing that he was white:
“I got put out of my hotel room because I wouldn’t sleep with a white man on his vacation.”
A representative for the resort says Jackson’s claims were “highly inaccurate and inflammatory.”
In the videos which have been reposted on several fan sites, Jackson claims that the man attacked her and ripped her undergarments off and that police took his side and focused on her husband due to the fact that he is black after witnesses say they engaged in an altercation. Jackson shared that she experienced a greater amount of fear due to the fact that she is a transgender woman:
“I’m not trying to be over-dramatic or anything like that, but, as a transgender woman, I just know that sometimes we don’t make it out of places, right? And certain things don’t happen for us. But if I don’t make it out of Aruba today, I’m telling y’all point blank.”
We hope that Jackson finds justice if the allegations are true. In the meantime, you can check out her powerful message about what it means to live in truth below:
