Chaday
As I return back to this work of RAGGA NYC Features (interviews) I would like to thank the countless creatives, photographers and dreamers who believe in this mission and have made this project possible. It takes a village. When I started RAGGA I set out to find queer/ ally Caribbean icons who had been there the whole time on these dance floors and gallery openings with me in hidden, plain sight. Time and time again I kept finding out who was Puerto Rican but I never knew or who had Jamaican parents and just never spoke about it. These interviews are a way of archiving a community. Way of telling our own stories “for us by us”. It is a way of continuing to place our stake in the ground. We are here. We have been here. They will never erase us again.
For this beautiful interview Nerdscarf (the talented photographer for this shoot) and I (Neon Christina founder of RAGGA NYC) meet in NYC after the 2nd Doll Ball hosted by RAGGA NYC and Connek JA (Jamaica’s Pride week August 2022 & October 2022). I’ve been working with Chaday for some years now but this conversation like the others in the RAGGA Feature collection, is overdue.
Thank you for the transcript/ editing help on this Christopher Walker.
RaggaNYC: Hey boo! Ok. Who are you?
Chaday: My name is Chaday. Last name Emmanuel. Pronouns they/them, she/her. I work for the organizations/companies Transwave in Jamaica and Senate. In my own time, I curate events in Jamaica to create synergy and safe spaces for queer people like the project Connek Ja that I do with you!
RaggaNYC: We’ve done so many interviews and most people reading this know our origin story, but, in short, I got connected with you through BUFU collective and we created Connek Ja. Meeting you changed my life. So much has happened with Connek Ja but before we go specifically into that, why do you think it is important for you to create these spaces and what are some of the biggest difficulties you run into on the island?
Chaday: When I first started to go out in Kingston, there were a lot of venues that wouldn’t let me in. Based on the way I was dressed, they would tell me that I wasn’t “dressed how a woman was supposed to be dressed”. Obviously that sucked, so it was really important for me to create spaces not only for myself but also for people like me. I wanted to come as I am, and I was sure there were a lot of other even more marginalized people that wanted the same opportunity.
To be able to just exist, have fun and celebrate. Especially within our community, where you can’t necessarily be yourself all the time in Kingston. To show up authentically. Sadly, these spaces of celebration were often the only times some people in my community can be themselves. The biggest problems I’ve found with curating events? Oh god… lol…
Ragga NYC: The top three! Lol. Lord knows we have endless spreadsheets of our issues/ needs to do things like Connek Ja and curate queer events in Jamaica.
Chaday: Exactly! Let’s start with venues. I can’t tell you how many places I’ve gone to, met with, had discussions with, paid deposits on, then they find out that the event is queer and thus refuse to rent us the space. The first thing they say is they are a “Christian company” and “renting to us would be at odds with their religious practice as people and venue owners” which is usually a lie. So something as simple as finding a venue even when you have the money is very difficult.
Secondly, is funding. It is hard here in Jamaica. The value of the Jamaican dollar is like nothing. It’s like monopoly money. I think the current conversion rate is $1 JMD to $0.0065 USD. The minimum wage is the equivalent of $40 USD a week! Things are much more expensive because everything is imported which doubles or triples the price. So when you want to create something like what we do with Connek Ja, it becomes even harder because if we find a space that is not necessarily “meant for us” but is willing to work with us, we have to build it out and customize it so it doesn’t feel thrown together. When we’re hosting these Connek Ja or other queer events in Jamaica we want the spaces to look like someone put some thought into ensuring the community has a great time and feels seen.
Thirdly, which is really sad to me, is the badmindness in Kingston. I think it stems from the lack of opportunities because it’s like everybody seems to always have “a foot on their neck”. I’m not sure what it is, but the badmind level in Kingston is off the charts sometimes. It’s like we don’t realize that we’re so much more powerful working together as opposed to opponents. One person can’t build an empire. Look at what you and I have done with Connek Ja in only a few years, we live in different countries, and we talk at length like once a month!
[For those who don’t know the Jamaican lingo… lol, badmindness is: someone resentful of the fortune or success of others, wishing for their ruin, downfall, failure.]
Ragga NYC: Girl! It’s crazy because we’ve built all these things with Connek Ja and have no money. Legit no sponsors, no grants in the bank and often have come out of our own pockets to pay for Connek Ja expenses and people who come to our events from hotel rooms to taxis!
Chaday: Exactly! But yeah, the badmind levels back home makes things difficult.
Ragga NYC: I'm glad you mentioned the venue thing. I feel like in New York people take for granted that you can just go to any space, put some money down or even get it free, and create whatever utopia you want for a night. The venue game in NYC by no means is a walk through the park, but in comparison it’s Cloud 9. Pulling that “sorry I’m a Christian” shit here in NYC will land your ass in court! The fact that there's no protection for at least business discrimination in Jamaica is so ridiculous. It’s exhausting. Girl… our money is green too! What is the teaaaa?
Chaday: Even recently for our DOLL BALL 2: Connek bashment (October 1, 2022), we had a venue lined up, booking deposit paid and then they ghosted us. When I finally was able to reach someone there they told us, “we personally don’t mind, but the owner of the venue can’t work with you because he saw your website.”
Ragga NYC: To have our money and then say that is a MESS!
Chaday: Right!? Go suck ya bloodclot self!
Ragga NYC: Period!
Chaday: And that is how strong the bigotry is, ya zimmie? It is so fucking strong. They would rather not take the money, because, I don’t know, maybe “the gayness” will be left residually on the dancefloor.
Ragga NYC: Smh. The last thing you said about synergy and badmind is so important too because sometimes I feel like I’m doing the most with my “hippie talk” about love, togetherness and community. However, on the flip side, negativity in the community even here in NYC can be very intense. Crabs in a barrel. That said, where do you think your positivity and perseverance comes from?
Chaday: I think I kind of trick myself into it to be honest. lol
Ragga NYC: Not trick yourself! lol
Chaday: Anything I’ve ever set out to do, I just push myself and get done. Even when I don’t know anything about the task at hand. There are so many events or things with Connek Ja we’ve done that, to be honest, have pushed me to my limit and have been exhausting. It can be a lot but in the end when everyone’s dancing, there’s no fighting, love in the space and synergy, it’s worth it. These events, in person or online, have an impact beyond the events and that’s what keeps me motivated. When we did the Connek Ja quarantine Pride showcase on zoom in 2020 that was a perfect example. We worked with a bunch of locals here and hired Connek ambassadors like Emani and Kyym. We paid the girls and they were like, “Bloodclat… we can get paid for our creative work!” They then went on to create their art collective “United Trans Creative” because we showed them that their work and time are valuable. We offered an opportunity.
Ragga NYC: The thing that I always think is special and feels like it is in the background for Connek Ja is the networks we’re linking. For people to network and have other opportunities even outside of us is a vine. Whether that be the creation of United Trans Creative or the connection of Diotima (a fashion brand based in NYC run by a brillant Jamaican born artist, Rachel Scott) to all the dolls in Jamaica that resulted in Emani being on Vogue.com! That Diotima connection between Connek Ja, Diotima and United Trans Creative resulted in making history!
The first trans woman was featured on the front of the Art and Fashion section wearing the newest collection of Diotima in the Jamaican Gleaner, which is like Jamaica’s our New York Times!
What do you think about how that happened naturally?
Chaday: I don’t think it was completely naturally happening in the background. It is intentional. At the Yardy x RAGGA NYC x Connek Ja gala dinner we did in 2021 here in NYC, it was a focus for us to have people like Kyym and Emani on the screen during the pre-dinner presentation even though they couldn’t be there in NYC. From there Ceyenne Doroshow, Founder & Executive Director of G.L.I.T.S., who we invited to the party was inspired to get on a call and talk with Kyym and Emani only weeks later. They were able to connect in sisterhood and encouragement. Even in my day-to-day life, if I meet someone that is in fashion, I’m like Rachel should meet them. It’s always about getting people together and sharing ideas. I have always been that kind of person.
Ragga NYC: I love that. I found out at the dinner that Ceyenne has Caribbean roots and was so overcome with reassurance that we are doing this important bridge building. It’s crazy because that keeps happening to me here in NYC. I keep meeting people who live in NYC and finding out their families are from the islands, but they just never talk about it. So many queer icons and icons in general like Ceyenne here in NYC are Caribbean! The list goes on and on. So many from Dominique Jackson, Lorraine O’Grady, Simone Leigh, Connie Girl and so much more are all Caribbean! The Caribbean has always been such a root for a lot of NYC legends. Whether their family roots enter the make up of how they become NYC legends or not it’s a part of the story we so often don’t hear about. Which is why I think building that bridge on a human level is so important.
Has there been anyone in your life that has re-energized you to keep that sentiment of synergy or spiritual ground of positivity?
Chaday: Yeah, I watch The Secret (2006) every year. Every year. And every time I watch it, a different part sticks out to me. I really try to make a habit out of being grateful when I wake up in the morning or at night. I’ll also do a morning meditation to guide my own energy before anything else. Sometimes you wake up and immediately look at your phone and the first thing you see is…
Ragga NYC: Violence!
Chaday: Exactly. When that happens, you don’t get to set your own energy.
Ragga NYC: Tell us about the first ball ever in Jamaican history (Connek Ja: DOLL BALL August 2022) and then let’s talk about your future aspirations. First the ball. Obviously, we're working on it together, but I wasn’t there physically for that one. When I saw that stage online, I said “hold on… now wait a minute. WAIT A DAMN MINUTE LOL. Chaday casually built a whole stage from scratch for the event!???” I gagged!
Chaday: It's crazy because we, as you know, didn't have any money lol. So we did a GoFundMe with Yardy and you (RAGGA NYC) and planned to do two events in the Fall/ Winter 2022.
Our timeline and plans changed when in July, after applying to work with J-FLag in March 2022, we got an email from J-Flag saying they are granting us money to do an event in August 2022, less than 30 days away. It was a lot but we had to make it work. Big up to Neochea, our Connek Ja freelance assistant, who helped us put together everything so quickly. The Black Trans Travel Fund, a NYC based organization advocating for trans people globally, was also extremely helpful. The venue was a huge open garden space so i had to build the space up because you can’t vogue on grass lol. Setting up generators, tents chairs, vendor stations. It was a lot, but people vogued the house down! Tons of people entered each category, we were able to pay the queens, it was amazing. People are still talking about it.
Ragga NYC: I love that. Ball room whether it’s apart of anyone’s specific taste is a huge part of queer history and culture and all over this globe. There are houses and balls all over Europe, Asia and more but have yet to come to the Caribbean. I mean look at Beyonce bringing vogue in mainstream conversation again. Everyone is enjoying and indulging in our culture, queer culture. That culture was built by so many black and brown people who have roots in the Caribbean so it’s only right we have this full circle moment. These spaces of joy are a must considering the chaos happening in the world. Big up unuh self Chaday!
Chaday: Thank you boo! We did it! You are right! Everybody but Jamaicans make money off of Jamaican culture, ya zimmie? Especially white people from the record labels to people online trying to claim to cook Jamaican food. Did you see the video where the guy said he was cooking ackee and saltfish but was making eggs and tilapia? It’s a mess!
Ragga NYC: GIRL!?
Chaday: I know... And your other question about the future, and this is for me personally, I want one big land with a farm and housing for queer people to be able to do their work in Jamaica. There would be areas with computers, tools, fashion resources, an industrial kitchen, and event space so we wouldn’t have to beg people to use theirs. I think getting some land in Jamaica is top of the list.
The second thing would be a ConnekJA app. If I want to go to Barbados and I want to meet a photographer there that is queer or if I want to meet people that are having queer events or hire a queer chef or a queer model for my campaign this app would be my guide especially in countries that have been stigmatized and where queer community is hard to find for a tourist. It would be this resource hub for the LGBTQIA+.
Ragga NYC: We’ve talked about that a lot. We are doing this Connek Ja project in Jamaica because we are both Jamaican and Jamaica is close to our hearts, but who is the Chaday of Trinidad?
Chaday: Right. Also having more international Connek Ja cultural showcases/ events all over the world. Bringing Jamaican queer talent to the world and showcasing local queer talent from New York, Toronto and all over. Similar to Afro Punk.
Ragga NYC: Which is huge because I don’t think people know how big of a deal it is for Jamaicans to travel, let alone queer Jamaicans. To showcase their talent all over the world would be huge.
Chaday: And it would also allow queer Jamaicans to make a respectable amount of money like they deserve to.
Ragga NYC: We are going to do it. I’m going to light a candle, it is happening. Thank you so much for being my sis and also being so inspiring. Thank you for being a bad bitch.
Chaday: Thank you for being my family. I’ve always wanted to do all of these things, and I’ve finally found the right person to do them with. Thank you.