Qween Jean is a

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costum ...

and LGBT+ rights activist based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Early life

Jean was born in

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

before moving with her family to

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. Growing up, she struggled with

gender dysphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to inconsistency between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender i ...

and read queer stories, including books by

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...

, for support. She learned how to sew from her grandmother, who was a dressmaker.

Education

She attended Florida School of the Arts at St. Johns River State College before transferring to

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Business Communications. In 2016, she graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a master's degree in Design and went on to have a career as a costume designer.

Activism

Black trans liberation protests

In June 2020, following the murders of Black transgender woman Nina Pop, and Black transgender man Tony McDade, and the lack of coverage of the murders in the media, Jean co-founded the Black trans liberation protests in New York City with Joela-Abiona Rivera. '' Gay City News'' states the protests' purpose was to "underscore the importance of trans rights and condemn the ongoing killings of transgender people." The protests took place every Thursday outside the

Stonewall Inn The Stonewall Inn (also known as Stonewall) is a gay bar and recreational tavern at 53 Christopher Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It was the site of the 1969 Stonewall riots, which led to th ...

, in

Washington State Park Washington State Park is a public recreation area covering in Washington County in the central eastern part of the state of Missouri. It is located on Highway 21 about northeast of Potosi or southwest of De Soto on the eastern edge of t ...

, and through the streets of the city. ''

Them Them or THEM, a third-person singular or plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fict ...

'' wrote, "As the fight for safety and inclusion continues, Jean utilizes marches as a means of building coalitions, dismantling bigotry, and creating spaces for joy and celebration." The protests and Jean are the subjects of the photo book, ''Revolution Is Love: A Year of Black Trans Liberation.'' Black Trans Liberation's mission is to end

homelessness Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

within the trans population by equipping transgender people with resources to succeed. Qween Jean is the co-founder of Black Trans Liberation Kitchen, a collective that helps to provide healthy, home-cooked meals to preserve and nourish the vitality of the TGNC community. Ceyenne Doroshow has participated with Qween Jean and the BTLK as a guest chef. Doroshow states that, “Giving young people access to making their own food in the simplest ways is not only sustainable, it’s nutrition. To see a sisterhood and a brotherhood form around food, there’s nothing quite like it.”

Events

On July 9, 2020, Jean spoke at a protest demanding abolition of the police and

decriminalization of sex work The decriminalization of sex work is the removal of criminal penalties for sex work (specifically, prostitution). Sex work, the consensual provision of sexual services for money or goods, is criminalized in most countries. Decriminalization is ...

. On January 18, 2021, Jean led a trans liberation protest where the crowd was attacked and beaten by the

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

. Jean said of the event, "The entire march was attacked and beaten by the NYPD. Literally, where trans women were being attacked by the police, their wigs getting ripped off, being dragged on the concrete. There is a parallel to the 1969 liberation fight." On June 13, 2021, Jean led the second Brooklyn Liberation March, which focused on the empowerment of transgender youth. The event supported organizations such as, "the Gworls, an organization that raises money to assist Black transgender people with housing; the Black Excellence Collective; Trans Lifeline; and Magic City Acceptance Center, a space for LGBTQ children in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

." On June 24, 2021, Jean's conversation with

Avram Finkelstein Avram Finkelstein is an American artist, writer, gay rights activist and member of the AIDS art collective Gran Fury. Finkelstein describes himself as a " red diaper baby", raised by leftist parents who encouraged him to develop an interest in ...

, a founding member of the

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

art collective

Gran Fury Emerging from ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) in 1988, Gran Fury was an AIDS activist artist collective from New York City consisting of 11 members including: Richard Elovich, Avram Finkelstein, Amy Heard, Tom Kalin, John Lindell, Lor ...

, was published in ''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...

''. On August 28, 2021, Jean participated in the March On For Voting Rights in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

On September 8, 2021, Jean led a rally in support of Abimbola Adelaja, a former Marine, who was attacked for being gay in a

Bushwick Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; the cemeteries of Highland Park to the southe ...

bodega. On June 26, 2022, Jean and other activists interrupted the New York City Pride Parade in honor of Donnell Rochester, an 18-year-old murdered by police in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. Jean stated at the event, "Pride was a protest. Stonewall is the history and legacy of injustice. We are reclaiming our time today. We are reclaiming queer space today. We are reclaiming trans bodies today." On August 24, 2022, Jean hosted a rally for Marsha P. Johnson’s 77th birthday in Washington Square Park. The same week, Jean co-hosted the third annual Celebration of Black Trans Women Cookout. On May 31, 2023, Jean was arrested by the NYPD at a protest of anti-trans laws and violence. Activist Adam Eli shared footage of Jean's arrest and stated, "There is no question that the police targeted Qween and that this was their plan for the night. As soon as Qween was arrested the police presence at least halved." '' Gay City News'' reported that Jean was among the leaders of the 2023

Queer Liberation March The Queer Liberation March is an annual LGBT social movements, LGBT protest march in Manhattan, organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition as an Anti-corporate activism, anti-corporate alternative to the NYC Pride March. A grassroots collective o ...

in New York, an anti-corporate alternative to the

NYC Pride March The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBT culture in New York City, LGBTQ community in New York City#Sexual orientation and gender identity, New York City. The largest pride parade and the List of largest LGBT events, larges ...

. That day, she stated:

I believe in Black trans liberation. I believe in Black trans power…When trans people unite, whenever we gather, it has no chance but to be magical, because as we can look around and see, our community has come out today. They not only look glorious, they look so divine. This is how we show up in our full armor.

Artistry

In 2020, Jean was honored in Black Women on Broadway's Inaugural Awards Ceremony for her costume designs. The same year, she designed costumes for

Shakespeare Theatre Company The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a Regional theater in the United States, regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. The theatre company focuses primarily on plays from the William Shakespeare, Shakespeare canon, but its seasons inc ...

’s '' The Amen Corner''. In 2021, Jean was named an

Artist-in-Residence Artist-in-residence (also Writer-in-residence), or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs that involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs that pr ...

at Museum of Modern Art PS1 and curated the exhibit ''Black Trans Liberation: Memoriam and Deliverance.'' In 2021, a portrait of Jean taken by photographer, Christian Thane, was featured in the

Queens Museum The Queens Museum (formerly the Queens Museum of Art) is an art museum and educational center at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States. Established in 1972, the museum includes the '' Panorama of the City of New ...

exhibit, ''Live Pridefully: Love and Resilience within Pandemics.'' In 2022, another portrait, taken by Camila Falquez, was featured in the exhibit, ''Gods That Walk Among Us,'' at the Hannah Traore Gallery in NYC. Jean was on the cover of ''Cero Magazine'' and featured in ''

Logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...

'' for their "30 Changemakers" series. In 2022, Jean designed the costumes for

Theatre for a New Audience The Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) is a non-profit theater in New York City focused on producing William Shakespeare, Shakespeare and other classic dramas. Its off-Broadway productions have toured in the U.S. and internationally. History Thea ...

's production, ''Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White'', and was nominated for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for Outstanding Costume Design of a Play. On June 25, 2022, Jean co-hosted The Big Mix – LGBTQIA+ Pride with

Idina Menzel Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in Musical theatre, musicals on Broadway theatre, Broadway, she has been Honorific nicknames in popular music, nicknamed the "Queen of ...

. Jean had a cameo on ''And Just Like That''... In 2023, she designed the costumes for

The New Group The New Group, is a New York City Off-Broadway theatrical troupe founded by Artistic Director Scott Elliott, that produced its first play, Mike Leigh's '' Ecstasy'', in 1995. The New Group is run by founding Artistic Director, Scott Elliott, an ...

's production, ''The Seagull/Woodstock, NY.'' Jean was honored at the 2023

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

s for her costume design. In 2023, Jean joined

Theatre Communications Group Theatre Communications Group (TCG) is a non-profit service organization headquartered in New York City that promotes professional non-profit theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, us ...

's board of directors.{{Cite web , date=2023-02-21 , title=TCG Announces New Board Trustees and Structure , url=https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/02/21/tcg-announces-new-board-trustees-and-structure/ , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614000515/https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/02/21/tcg-announces-new-board-trustees-and-structure/ , archive-date=2023-06-14 , access-date=2023-06-13 , website=AMERICAN THEATRE , language=en-US

External links

Qween Jean Costume Design‘Exposure Doesn’t Pay the Rent’ an Interview With Activist Qween JeanLife After Gun ViolenceRevolution Is Love: A Year of Black Trans Liberation

References

Date of birth missing (living people) Living people Activists from New York (state) Black Lives Matter people African-American LGBTQ people American LGBTQ rights activists Transgender rights activists Women civil rights activists 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people American costume designers American women costume designers American fashion designers American women fashion designers American installation artists African-American contemporary artists American contemporary artists African-American women artists American women installation artists Year of birth missing (living people) New York University alumni