Chosen family and creative liberation with POSE star Ryan Jamaal Swain

On Thursday, Apr. 7, actor and dancer Ryan Jamaal Swain served the role of Geneseo’s LGBTQ+ History Month Keynote Speaker and engaged in a dialogue, Q+A, and autograph session with Geneseo students and faculty. The vast majority of the dialogue was led by Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs for LGBTQ+ Life Charlotte Wade, with an open period for questions and photograph/autograph opportunities at the end of the event.

Though Swain has been involved in a plethora of creative projects, from numerous plays at his alma mater Howard University to his role in the 2019 short film Engaged, Swain is most known for his role in the TV show POSE, a drama series set in the 1980s that focuses on the history of drag performance as an art form. Swain played Damon Richards-Evangelista in the show, a young, homeless queer dancer who finds home in the drag community.

In his keynote speech, Swain circled topics that viewers will find in this series—Swain spoke extensively about their childhood and the events that had transpired in their life to lead them where they are today in both their career and stability as a person (it is significant to note here that Swain was introduced by Wade using he, they, and the collective “we” pronouns). While Swain’s success as an actor and dancer is inherently connected to his name and reputation, Swain described himself in his Instagram bio as a “storyteller,” “creator,” and “good human.” Their speech focused more on these more personable aspects of their identity, rather than the achievements for which they have been more publicly recognized.

One of the main focuses of Swain’s speech was the concept of “chosen family,” a concept that is ingrained into the plot of POSE as well as the values that Swain brings to each and every aspect of his life. Swain spoke extensively about the role that a loving community full of friends and artists who support them has played in their life, particularly in the aftermath of being raised in an abusive home environment. Quite humbly, Swain attributed a great deal of his success to the growth that this chosen family has encouraged in both his art and identity, emphasizing the importance of safe, creative spaces for queer and BIPOC youth to express and develop their own identities.

As the LGBTQ+ History Keynote Speaker (or, as Wade described it, the “Gaypril” Keynote Speaker), Wade described their experiences growing up queer and genderqueer in the south, noting the specific hardships that they faced not only as a queer person but as a Black queer person growing up in a rather conservative area. Swain emphasized the importance of safe spaces for BIPOC queer youth specifically many times throughout his speech, noting that, in conversations about chosen family and acceptance, “I’m not just talking to Black and Brown kids, but I’m gonna talk to you first.”

Beyond the topics of protection and expression for BIPOC queer youth, Swain also spoke about his “queeroes” and favorite quotes, giving a special shoutout to an elegant and incredibly tasteful ring of James Baldwin.

Following his speech, Swain entered a rather thoughtful Q+A period, where he answered questions from audience members with the gentle intention that one would expect from such a creative and intuitive individual. Sophomore special education major Torianna Robleto had the opportunity to ask Swain a question about their aspirations following graduation to find a balance between dance, one of their passions, and education, their intended career. Robleto found that Swain went above and beyond to carefully respond to their question.

“I was so nervous to be sitting so close to them and talking to them but Jamaal was so down-to-earth and amicable,” said Robleto. “It was a really inspiring meet-and-greet.”

Elegantly and delicately, Swain brought a needed lens of intersectionality and protection to Geneseo’s understanding of LGBTQ+ History Month. If you or someone you know is interested in pursuing these sorts of safe creative spaces, consider working with Geneseo’s Recess Magazine, dedicated to BIPOC expression, and/or Iris Magazine, Geneseo’s one and only queer publication.