Drag artist and activist Marti Gould Allen-Cummings announced Wednesday that they will run for City Council.
Appearing in drag in a campaign video, Allen-Cummings plans to run in 2021 in Manhattan’s District 7, which includes Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights, Manhattanville and Hamilton Heights. The current councilman, Mark Levine, will complete his second and final term in 2021.
“Politics should be for everyone,” Allen-Cummings says in the video. “Everybody should be afforded an opportunity to run for office.”
Allen-Cummings, who produced and starred in the show “Shade: Queens of NYC” on Fusion TV, is currently a member of the mayor’s Nightlife Advisory Board and of Manhattan Community Board 9. After the election of President Donald Trump, they formed the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats, which has participated in protests against the administration, fundraised and campaigned for candidates and held public forums.
“For over a decade I’ve had the great opportunity to be a drag artist in New York City,” they say. “It has been my great honor to use my platform as a performer to not only make people laugh and entertain them, but to advocate for issues that matter.”
Three other candidates so far have filed with the Campaign Finance Board to run in the District 7 race in 2021: Shaun Abreu, Daniel Cohen and Luis Tejada.
If Allen-Cummings is elected, they would be the first drag queen to serve in City Council.
