In the summer of 2022—at the same time that Dominique Morgan accepted the position of Program Director at Borealis Philanthropy’s Fund for Trans Generations (FTG)–she was also named a Grand Marshall at NYC Pride! Deeply committed to building and supporting trans legacies, not only through the grantmaking and capacity-building work of the FTG, but also by leveraging its name and network to create partnership opportunities for trans leaders, Dominique is now passing the baton to two talented storytellers. We spoke to one of these leaders, Grand Marshal Baddie Brooks, to learn more about her community-building work and her hopes for trans legacies. We invite you to dig in below,check out our interview with Grand Marshal Eshe Ukweli, and tune into our Instagram page on Sunday, June 30th at 12:00 pm EST for a Live featuring Baddie, Eshe, and Dominique!
In your own words, who is Baddie Brooks?
What inspired your career in music, and more specifically, what inspired you to write and perform music that centers queer and trans identity?
What messages do you hope listeners will take away from your music?
You worked on your new album, Reclamation, over the course of five years. In this time, we’ve seen so many shifts in queer and trans communities—in safety, rights, visibility, access. What stands out to you about the state of the community?
FTG is resourcing a national network of movement work for trans futures. What are your dreams for that future? What trans movement work is most inspiring to you?
How do you envision the role of philanthropic support in advancing the visibility and empowerment of queer and transgender artists?
Who are other queer and trans artists we should be listening to?
What current projects would you like to plug, and what can we expect from you in the future?
See you on our Instagram page for a LIVE from NYC Pride, this Sunday, June 30th at 12pm EST!