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Source: Aaron Thomas
“Housing is a powerful disruptor” - Dominique Morgan
At the 2024 NAESM National Leadership Conference, cultural icon TS Madison and powerhouse philanthropist Dominique Morgan officially announced the TS Madison Starter House.
Scheduled for an official grand opening on Transgender Day of Visibility—March 31, 2025—the TS Madison Starter House aims to provide housing security and transform the lives of Black trans women with experience in sex work.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the house provided is none other than the iconic “Marvelous Chateau'' famously recognized as the residence of the one and only TS Madison. Since the start of her career, Madison has always been transparent about her history of persisting through survival sex work and the adult entertainment field.
While presenting at the 2024 NAESM Conference, Madison shared that she herself had undergone homelessness when she first moved to Atlanta. However, a fellow Black, transwoman by the name of TS Eve, was the nurturing force that took Madison in, elevated her working skillset, and supported her with a foundation to succeed.
Now, just like those before her, Madison is paying it forward by donating and converting her own home as a space for others. Madison’s home will effectively serve as a launching pad for Black transwomen like her who have the will to thrive but just need that proper footing.
The property itself is a cultural symbol and manifestation of Madison’s success and triumphs despite the life trials she faced being Black and trans. Many in our community have personally witnessed the evolution of Madison from her viral beginnings online to achieving bonafide stardom.
Given the stark landscape of available support for trans people, specifically Black transwomen experiencing homelessness, the revolutionary initiative was met with immediate praise.
(Source: Logo)
Coming off the heels of the current Phag Tawlk Residency and receiving the Logo Legend Award, the TS Madison Starter House is another monumental addition to her more than deserved legacy and impact.
Working alongside Madison is her co-partner Dominique Morgan who brings expertise in trans-led advocacy and fundraising. Morgan currently serves as the Director of the Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy, an official sponsor of the TS Madison Starter House.
In her first ever Gaye Magazine interview, Dominique Morgan shares how the TS Madison Starter House came to be, provides information on the program’s services, and enlightens us on the future vision of this soon-to-be landmark institution.
What is your definition of the TS Madison Starter House?
“I would say one clear component is that it is for Black transwomen who are in the Atlanta area. A component is survival sex work, but we want to also acknowledge that there are girls where sex work is how they have built their ability to live. For some girls, it’s how they’ve been able to thrive.”
“In Madison’s case, that was a part of her journey. Madison always says the first million dollars she raised was through that part of her work.”
“[The Starter House] is for anyone ready to figure out what’s next for them within their identity"
"...It's for people who are focused, people who are ready to build a future, and people who can look at Madison’s journey as a possibility model. But also people who are excited to have a community around them that is really invested in them being successful.”
Harping on exemplifying Madison’s life as a successful Black, transwoman, Morgan points out the fact that we as a society are witnessing Black transwomen age. An observation that may seem mundane on the surface, but in actuality is surmountable to a phenomenon.
In a world where anti-trans violence regularly occurs, the false narrative for Black transwomen as having a 35-year-old average life expectancy can easily be accepted as an inevitable “truth” in the psyche of both trans and cis people alike.
The notion that all Black transwomen die young contradicts the possibility of achieving a full, healthy life. In spite of this, we as a people are seeing more examples of Black trans people growing and thriving.
(Source: NAESM)
“I think it’s important that we acknowledge that we’re really reaching a time where we’re seeing the first generation of Black transwomen age in front of us."
"Zaya Wade was the first Black trans girl we saw grow up in front of us. I’m 42. I think Madison will be 46 or 47 this fall. Laverne just turned 52.”
“We’re seeing a group of Black transwomen, that are…going to turn 60 in front of the world…and 70…and live a whole life, and so when you live a whole life, the beauty is that we have roadmaps. We have blueprints that we can see, not because we want to do things exactly the way we did, but because we want to know…this person is like me in some way and they did some things that I think are dope, and I can do that also.”
How did you get involved as a co-partner for establishing The TS Madison Starter House?
“So Madison and I had been connected before on social media. I always had love and admiration for Madison and who she is. Then in June of 2022, Madison and I were both chosen as Grand Marshals for New York Pride.”
“It was our first time to really be in the same space and I threw a big dinner for the organization I was involved in at that time, and I knew Madison was known for not mingling.”
“I texted her and I’m like I promise you this space will be respectful. I promise you that you won’t have to come here and be TS Madison, you’ll be able to be Madison, and I just want to spend time with you. She came and it was so beautiful.”
“On the Fourth of July, I was at my friend’s house and they were throwing this thing [and I invited Madison]. We were sitting on the patio and we were talking about housing…we were talking about a program and Madison expressed her interest in what that would look like and what it would like for her to be a part of it.”
“Fast forward, I was at Madison’s house for a Christmas Eve party [where] Madison was like…'I think I want to do it'. When she said yes, I was like let me show her I’m about it. I was like ‘what do you want it to look like, what motivates you…’”
“On Christmas Eve, Madison said, ‘I want it to be the TS Madison Starter House.’”
(Source: Dominique Morgan)
As the Program Director of the Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy, Morgan boasts extensive experience in funding trans and non-binary focused initiatives.
Once the idea for the TS Madison Starter House was put out into the world, Morgan brought the concept to her funding colleagues, which was met with immediate results.
“We got the first $50,000 in January. A Black woman, Susan Burton was [from] the first organization to say yes and we partnered with NAESM in Atlanta.”
“I saw this as a moment to make sure that Madison could be honored and also that we could bring something that is desperately needed to not only Atlanta and the South, but truth be told, we’re in a time now where if we don’t have solutions for ourselves, baby, it might be a hard time come 2025.”
Is the TS Madison Starter House the only housing program that specifically serves Black transwomen in Georgia?
“I don’t know if it’s specific because I know there are some organizations that do that work. I do believe it is the only organization that is led by…the program is built by and ran by Black trans women. It is absolutely from start to finish for us, by us.”
At the 2024 NAESM Conference, you referred to the women that will live in the Starter House as stakeholders. Can you define the term “stakeholder” and explain the reasoning behind this description?
“A stakeholder is someone who has a vested interest in something doing well. If something doesn’t do well, they’re going to be impacted by it as well.”
“I wanted them to be described as stakeholders because I wanted a definition of their existence in the space to let them know, baby, we're not going to watch you 24 hours. So if you really want this, it's you, yourself and I.”
“So, they’re a stakeholder in their success. You are a stakeholder in the fabric of Black queer community thriving. One more girl that's out here getting theirs. One more girl who knows better. So you're going to do better. And also you can tell other girls about how they can do better. This, isn't about just winning for yourself.”
“...And to be honest, for many people, this is a radical project…us being successful launching this will position us to replicate this model, will position us to be able to look at people and say, when we say trust Black women, when we say trust Black trans women, we’ve demonstrated that when you let us do our thing, when you get out of our way, we will bring back wins, let us do it again.
“...For themselves, for our community overall, and for the future opportunities of the next stakeholder.”
From taking in Morgan’s explanation of relating to the women who will be in the house as stakeholders and not mere participants, the mission of the program becomes automatically clear. There is no room for soloing. One person’s success is not contained in a vacuum but is instead transferred to another for the benefit of all.
“If you’re winning, either you’re going to be focused on the win, which is usually singular or you’re going to be focused on the triumph, which means you took the whole thing. I’m trying to shift this for all of us.”
“Within any community of Blackness, femininity and womanhood is important. You look at Black, transwomen, you look at the butch queens that are femme presenting, we’re important to our culture. When we do well, the trade does well…our brothers do well, because we’re all connected."
(Source: X/@TsMadisonatl1)
Is there an application process to live in the TS Madison Starter House or are the women already selected?
“We’re not going to do an application per se, because the biggest piece is we want you already connected to NAESM. I want to see that you’re already doing therapy appointments. I want to see that you have already shown effort to be a stakeholder in your life.”
“We don’t want you coming there just because it is “The Chateau” and connected to Madison. We want you there, because of you.”
"The best way to make sure that you are in position to be selected in the Starter House in the late fall when we open…get connected to NAESM now!”
“If you’re already connected to NAESM, we’re going to look at the Black, transwomen that are already there. [From there], Madison will be making the final decision of the girls that are going to come in. At minimum, the stakeholders can be in the house for a year.”
What are your goals within the first year of the Starter House opening?
“One major goal is that we will have a group of women who will have realized that when we love each other…even in the times we don’t like each other that we will get further…eal sisterhood.”
“[Next], I want Madison to see how much we love her and appreciate her. I think it is interesting how I’ve been sitting next to her at times when people are attacking her online and because she works so much and she kind of sits to herself. A lot of what she sees is negative. So in a year, I want her to be able to feel like, no sis, your people love you.”
“And last, but not least, I want the city of Atlanta to know how to [provide housing for Black trans people, genderqueer, and femmes] and start doing it.”
Morgan charges the entire Black community, as a whole, to invest in each other regardless of gender and sexuality. Black transwomen are Black people, period. Uplifting the TS Madison Starter House is a surefire way for us as Black people to take action and determine our own futures.
“It’s not about the amount. $1 is powerful. It’s about an opportunity for Black people to create a solution for Black people that we know we need. This is an opportunity for us to not wait for [help] from any white person [or] any sort of system of oppression.
"We are owed peace and care. We’re manifesting rest for our people through the TS Madison Starter House.”
You can donate to the TS Madison Starter House here.
Watch the Full Interview here: