The power of the pronoun | Jarvis "Lady Jae" Clark | TEDxSanQuentin

Listen to a transgender prisoner's complex journey through the many stages of her life expressed through her Shakespeare-inspired performance.

Jarvis Juvan Clark (also knows an “Lady Jae”) is a transgender performance artist and poet who has been incarcerated for 27 years. Jarvis was born in Detroit, Michigan and moved to San Diego, CA at an early age. While in college, her first role was in a production of the Wiz (1982) where she was cast as a singing and dancing crow. Soon after, she started a dance troupe called Street Jazz Productions (1983-1984).

Since being incarcerated, Jarvis has participated in many programs and has received a number of high achievement certificates. In 2013, she arrived at San Quentin and hit the ground running. She’s an original member of A.C.T. (Acting with Compassion and Truth), an LGBTQ-based educational class. The curriculum teaches gender identity awareness. In May of 2015 Jarvis was cast as Lady MacBeth in the Marin Shakespeare Company at San Quentin’s production of MacBeth.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

♪ Where's the humanity? ♪

♪ Humanity ♪

♪ What do you see ♪

♪ when you look at me? ♪

Yes, all the world is my stage,

and I am but one transgender in it.

Not merely a man pretending,

nor am I a full natural
woman player in it.

I have exits and entrances.

always putting on many awesome, dynamic

and sometimes quite bold outfits.

My act, being seven stages:

At first, the beautiful infant

(Laughter)

being held in my mother's loving arms,

being protected from all forms of harm.

And then, the very effeminate schoolboy

that was being called

"sissy," "faggot," "queer."

It was the power of the pronoun
that I was starting to hear.

For that didn't stop me, you see,
I showed no fear.

I had a little secret as I would walk by:

I was wearing my mother's panties

doing the down low drag
for my very first try.

While in high school,
I really did try to fit in,

but all the kids saw was the queer guy.

I was neither cool nor fly.

It got so heavy and I felt so lost.

My life meant nothing to me,

and I tried to give it the old toss.

But to the rescue yet, once again,

my mother and my sister, Rin,

stepped in and showed me
that I was loved.

They both embraced me
with true and pure family love.

And now, the street soldier.

It was the 70s,

and there was no word for "gay bashing,"

just something that happened
to "those kind of guys."

This gave American history
two more black eyes.

Day after day was like a bad nightmare.

Always staying on my guard.

Do you know what it's like
always being scared?

Afraid to show my true face,

so yet I put on another mask

to show that I was part of the norm,

what we call the "human race."

So, I pushed down my humanity,

and I became oh so very hard.

Then came prison,

and I became the new sissy,
faggot, queer,

that "thing on the yard."

Yes, all the world is my stage,

but this time I put on yet another mask.

But it was only to protect my (chuckle)

(Laughter)

I put that mask on so very tight,

and yeah, I got into a lot of fights.

But I quickly got a cool reputation

for being more than just the sissy,

the faggot, the soft guy.

I became the girl
the cowards didn't want to try.

(Laughter)

Now comes the big 4-0,

which is the new 30, so I'm told.

But then reality kicks in,

and I see the gray hair.

And I start to think about my mortality,

and I become scared.

Not about where my soul is going

because I know Jesus got my back there.

But this is a youth-oriented society,

with everybody looking out for self.

No concern for the elderly
or the very, very old.

I'm just stating fact, truth be told.

Now, I haven't hit

that sixth or seventh stage as of yet,

but I plan on being very, very wealthy.

(Laughter)

On that, you all can bet.

And having one oh-so-yummy fine male nurse

that money can get.

But I'm glad I stayed true to myself,

and that this TEDx stage

is one that I, Lady Jae, did not miss.

Thank you.

(Applause) (Cheers)