A biography for Dominique Jacksonhasn’t been written yet.
“We all want to be normal, but it's relative to individuality. My normal is not your normal.”
“Even though it is fictional, 'Pose' has really tapped into some realities that I know would come from someone who really took the time to investigate ballroom.”
“I realised that I couldn't live in a box. It was not for me.”
“I started hormone therapy illegally and I thought I looked good enough for my family to accept. I was wrong. It was a disaster. My sister ran screaming calling me the demon with blue eyes. Using her Christianity as the base for her insight into seeing me as a demon.”
“People have to realize that it is not OK to hurt another human being. And that is what we forget.”
“Don't tell me about tolerance. Don't tell me about acceptance. Look at me as the woman that I am and respect that.”
“Growing up I was told, 'Stop acting like a girl. Don't stand like that, don't act like that, deepen your voice.' But for me, it came naturally.”
“We live in this realm where things exist but we pretend they don't exist, so that makes them, you know, nonexistent.”
“A woman reveals so much by what she's wearing.”
“Ball culture saved my life, and many people don't understand that. But ballroom is where I found chosen and proven family.”
“Whenever I have to go out or do something, it must be glamour.”
“When I was introduced to balls, it was only in New York, now it's spreading everywhere. I couldn't be happier.”
“I did not realize how many people would not be happy with my success.”
“You will not tell me that you accept me. You will not tell me that you tolerate me. That is not your power. I take that from you. You will respect me for who I am.”
“In the realness categories, what happens is you walk and your peers judge you, because if you're not able to walk amongst your peers and pass as being cis male or cis female, then it's obvious that you haven't done enough work. They wanted you to be able to go outside and come back home safely.”
“People told me that if I were to become post-op, that they would have nothing to do with me.”
“People talk about ballroom, but they don't really understand the history. Crystal Labeija, Avis Pendavis, Paris Dupree, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey. These were the women that really brought ballroom to life.”
“Strut' was an amazing experience, but it was also a learning experience, because reality TV can be crazy.”
“Being on 'Pose' for me has now allowed me to realize how important my culture is. It's made me realize how important the struggles that everyone has gone through are, and now we are able to tell that story.”
“Don't tell me what I need. Start looking at the people in front of you, appreciate the diversity in the community, respect it. Don't debate it.”