Donna “Dante” Marie Gary Marcus
(they/she)
YAAG Program Lead
Donna “Dante” Marie Gary is an African American femme, non-binary, and bisexual poet. They are currently based in Chicago as the YAAG Program Lead. Their dedication to equity can be surmised from their time as Operations Manager for Free Street Theater, and as a Tech Facilitator for the equity firm, Morten Group LLC. They graduated first generation and summa cum laude from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Their research focus and concentration was entitled “Poetics of Embodiment; The Ways Marginalized Folks Re-Imagine Their Value.” They also acquired a cross school Disability Studies Minor, and made a lasting impression as the co-president of the Disability Student Union. In their free time they share their love of the performing arts, chess and poetry through sensory friendly activations for the Chicagoland creative community.
“I am blessed that through my time in foster care I have met many types of family: biological, adoptive, and queer family. Family is the structure you can give any reciprocal relationship to create a sustainable bond. The families that last choose each other over and over again, through the difficult conversations, and the fears of the future. You don't always get to choose your family, nor do you always know who will embrace you for who you are. Family has no shade, no age and no limit. Real family is the family that feels real to you.”