Actress, activist and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Ts Madison has launched a new community venture to help Black trans women as they rejoin society after incarceration.
On March 31, which was National Day of Transgender Visibility, the long-time LGBTQ+ advocate held the grand opening for the Ts Madison Starter House in Atlanta. The program seeks to create stable housing opportunities and positively impact the lives of Black transgender women who have engaged in sex work.
How Ts Madison is helping Black trans women to rebuild their lives after incarceration
According to NBC News, the organization will serve up to five people who will reside in the home for 90 days, which is designed to set them up for success. The resources provided are permanent shelter, gender-inclusive medical support, employment support, academic support for GED completion, personal development coaching and healthy eating education. Each member of the collective will also receive individualized therapy.
As someone who was once homeless and turned to sex work to survive, Madison said she wants others to have a chance to take a different route than she did.
“I wanted to make space for these girls,” Madison told NBC News. “I wanted to teach them how to be successful without relying on their bodies but on their other gifts.”
Research done by the Williams Institute at UCLA Law in 2020 discovered that 8% of trans adults reported homelessness within the past year compared to 1% of cisgender straight adults, per NBC News. Additionally, the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality (now known as Advocates for Trans Equality) revealed nearly half of Black trans adults reported experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives.
Furthermore, trans individuals facing homelessness often turn to survival sex work, with the National Alliance to End Homelessness finding that an overwhelming 98% of unsheltered trans people engage in high-risk activities, including sex work, as a means of survival, NBC News reported.
Ts Madison is also working on a docuseries that uplifts Black trans women
Madison said the Ts Madison Starter House operates independently of government funding, an intentional move amid the ongoing rollback of trans rights nationwide.
“This is funded by the people, for the people,” she said. “Even with the government cutting funding, we don’t need them. We have each other. It’s kind of like an underground railroad.”
“This project isn’t just about housing — it’s about creating a space where Black trans women can thrive, not just survive,” she said, according to NBC News.
Given the changes within the healthcare system in recent years, Madison partnered with two local nonprofits that serve the LGBTQ+ community to ensure those selected to live in the home will be given proven tools for a successful and healthy lifestyle. Black and Pink helps people impacted by incarceration, while NAESM, Inc. provides medical services and HIV/AIDS support to queer people.
“We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all model. Some residents might need job prep. Others may need mental health support or to learn how to cook healthy meals,” Dominique Morgan, executive director of Black and Pink, said.
To spread the awareness and hoping to inspire others, Madison shared that she’s documenting the journey of the Starter House and its residents, hoping that the program will serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives nationwide. A docuseries capturing the experience is already in production, and she promised that it will focus on transformation over trauma.
“We’re not doing it like a Baddies,” she said. “No, these are the girls overcoming. These are the triumphs.”
“This is about possibility and transformation, not exploitation,” Madison added.
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