Connek JA is a grassroots, transnational resource center connecting queer Caribbean people in Jamaica, the U.S., and across the diaspora co-founded by Chaday Emmanuel and Christopher Udemezue. Through community programming, educational and financial resources, and policy advocacy, Connek JA creates spaces where queer and trans Jamaicans can feel affirmed, supported, and free.
This year’s Doll Ball 4—a celebration of identity, artistry, and community care—arrived in a moment of profound need. Only weeks before the event, Hurricane Melissa devastated communities across the island, hitting queer and trans Jamaicans especially hard. In response, Connek JA and partners mobilized instantly, distributing $8,540 in zero-barrier mutual aid to 61 queer and trans Jamaicans navigating displacement, loss, and instability.
This work is the heart of Connek JA’s mission—and no one captures that mission more beautifully than co-founder Chaday Emmanuel Scott, who said: “The Doll Ball was always an intentional choice—a space where our people could breathe, feel affirmed, and be held. Joy for us is not avoidance. It is ceremony. It is strategy. It is a declaration that we are worthy of light even in difficult moments.”
HOW TO SUPPORT
Your donation directly fuels:
- Emergency, zero-barrier cash aid
- Gender-affirming and wellness support
- Community workshops and resource programs
- The future of Jamaica’s growing queer and trans liberation movement
- Spaces like The Doll Ball, where community joy, safety, and belonging take center stage
The support provides stability, safety, and hope—and keeps alive the future that queer and trans Jamaicans are building together right now.
For more information on how to donate and get involved, please visit www.ConnekJA.com.
Follow Connek JA on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
