The LGBTQ+ community in Omaha, Nebraska, had a lot to celebrate over the weekend, as one of their own, Black trans woman Dominique Morgan, had a street renamed in her honor.
Morgan, a longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, is from Omaha, but now calls Atlanta home. She’s become the first living trans woman to receive such an honor in the U.S.
“There is something incredibly moving about the idea that young Black folks will walk down a street in a historically Black neighborhood named after a Black trans woman,” said Morgan.
Morgan said she “owes Omaha her life,” despite her rocky upbringing. At age 12, she was arrested on the very same street now named in her honor. At 18, she was incarcerated, serving nearly ten years in prison, where she received an associate’s degree in Culinary Management. She said a “big piece of her will always be in Omaha.”
According to KETV NewsWatch 7, Morgan’s stint in prison didn’t keep her from blossoming into greatness. She’s worked as an adolescent health educator for Charles Drew, served as the first Black president of Heartland Pride, and was the executive director of Black and Pink— an organization that helps provide housing for formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ people.
Now 41 years old, Morgan proudly holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and is the director of the Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy— where she’s raised more than $10 million for various Omaha organizations.
“This moment is important because it is a declaration to the world that the existence of trans people is non-negotiable,” she said. “For every queer and trans person who walks down Dominique Morgan Street, they will know that no matter where their story began, they will get to determine where their story ends.”
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