When actress and TV personality Ts Madison moved to Atlanta over a decade ago, she was homeless. She wanted better opportunities for herself while navigating the often harrowing lifestyle of being a sex worker.
“I didn’t have a car,” she said. “I moved to Atlanta with two suitcases. I had a gay mama that pulled me in, housed me, taught me how to read, HTML coding, how to market myself in publications and advertisements. (I learned) the essential skills on how to survive in Atlanta.”
Today, Ts Madison’s success is ubiquitous. It can be seen on social media with every viral meme she creates. It can be heard on Beyoncé's Grammy-winning 2022 album “Renaissance,” which samples Madison. It can also be seen in film and on television. Her 2021 show “The Ts Madison Experience” made her the first Black trans woman to star and executive produce her own reality series.
The 46-year-old star wants to show other Black trans women in the South that their dreams are possible. With the Ts Madison Starter House, she’ll convert her former Atlanta residence into a transitional housing program for Black trans women searching for new career paths after sex work.
The program is slated to launch in the fall, preferably in October to coincide with LGBTQ History Month and the 17th anniversary of Madison buying the home.
Credit: Aaron Thomas
Credit: Aaron Thomas
“I just recently bought another home in Atlanta. I decided that I wanted to give back to my community. The only way that you can give back is really give the best of yourself. I do believe that God blessed me with that house years ago, because that’s the first thing that I bought when I made my first million dollars, and now I have the ability to help house other people that are in need.”
She added: “For my community, I really wanted to know how I could be more active. I know that my visibility is my activism. I know that my existence is my advocacy. But how can I do more?”
Madison, along with Dominique Morgan of Borealis Philanthropy, formally announced the program last month. The Ts Madison Starter House is powered by organizations like Borealis Philanthropy, NAESM, Trans Women of Color Healing Project and more.
Along with housing, Morgan said participants will also receive wraparound services like STI testing and therapy. However, Morgan stressed the importance of Black trans women having a home to call their own. Over 40% of Black trans people have experienced homelessness in their lifetime, according to a 2015 report by the National Center for Transgender Equality.
“The beautiful part of this relationship is that most people can get all these other services, but we live in a country where being affirmed in housing is something that most people never get... partnering with NAESM [an Atlanta-based nonprofit that empowers Black gay men] brings in therapy, social work, these powerful programs and matching it with a home — not a place to lay your head — that has been a part of Madison’s journey to superstardom,” Morgan said.
Credit: Aaron Thomas
Credit: Aaron Thomas
Construction on the home will start in July or August. Additional details about the new program, including how people can get involved, are still being finalized. Morgan said those who reside in the home are community stakeholders instead of just people they’re providing services to.
“Your blackness has to look a certain way for people to think that you deserve to do well in the South,” said Morgan, who’s also based in Atlanta. “You have a lot of Black folks who come to Atlanta thinking that you’re going to get the same experience and, depending on your identities, it’s not set up that way. This is about us creating equity.”
For Madison, her home is filled with “the energies of endless possibilities.” It’s something that a younger version of herself would’ve have loved to have, so she’s grateful to offer the opportunity for others. Her influence is exponential. The Ts Madison Starter House is a pivotal extension of her work in uplifting Black trans women in the South.
“If I was a girl coming [here], I would love to be on the waiting list because I want to go absorb what I’ve seen this girl do countless times over the internet,” Madison said. “She showed us her growth and her progression, and we know this about her because the same thing that she is notorious for is the same thing that they kept her out of Hollywood for the longest, but she’s never backed down on telling her story.”
Donations to the Ts Madison Starter House can be made via tinyurl.com/2sbwmunt.
