Pose star Dominique Jackson on the importance of telling trans stories

Originally published on February 1, 2019

Pose is a new series that explores the early beginnings of New York's '80s ball scene. The queer ball scene was started by the city's black and Latino trans community, and for decades, it's been a safe space for the queer community to express themselves through performance, dance and music.

Since Pose debuted last summer, it's received widespread acclaim, landing on many critics' best of 2018 lists. More recently, it was up for two Golden Globe nominations. It also has the distinction of being the series with the largest trans cast and crew in television history.

While ball culture has long been a part of the pop zeitgeist, trans people have not, which is why Pose is being seen as a historically important series.

Dominique Jackson is one of the stars of Pose. She plays Elektra Abundance, reigning queen of the New York ball scene and mother of the House of Abundance. She joined Tom Power from our studio in New York to talk about how this series is making history, not only because of the stories it's telling but because of who gets to tell those stories.

If you're in Toronto this weekend, you can catch Jackson speaking at Harbourfront Centre's Kuumba festival, as part of their Black History Month celebrations. Season one of Pose is available now on iTunes and on demand via FX Canada.  

— Produced by Tyrone Callender