New York’s first non-binary candidate to make a run for City Council — who also happens to be the world’s most well-traveled drag artist — will be leading the charge as one of five grand marshals at NYC Pride this year.
A longtime artist and performer, Marti Gould Cummings has been a fixture of NYC nightlife for more than 16 years and recently broke the Guinness World Record as the first drag artist to perform on all seven continents. Following their 2021 campaign for City Council, they plan to use their background in political activism and platform as grand marshal at NYC Pride to empower and uplift marginalized communities, and to protest attacks against trans people and immigrants.
“I’m a big believer in that there’s no liberation until there’s liberation for all,” Cummings said in an interview with Gay City News. “We’re seeing corporations rolling back and showing that it was always a false allyship.
“[Pride is] not a corporate brouhaha — and I can’t believe I just said brouhaha,” they laughed.
Cummings ran for City Council to fight for critical issues like housing security and access to healthcare and education, particularly within their Upper Manhattan community. A 2023 film titled “Queen of New York” follows Cummings along the campaign trail in their run for New York’s Seventh District, documenting their fight for representation in a post-Covid political landscape. The documentary was later picked up by Revry, the world’s first LGBTQ+ streaming network, and is now available to stream.
“I think they did a really great job telling a story — not just about the campaign and the work that went into the campaign, but the story of so many non-binary and trans people coming together and getting involved in politics for the first time, seeing themselves represented,” Cummings said.
While the race did not result in a win for Cummings, they said that many volunteers and staffers who worked on the campaign have continued to make an impact in politics. One staffer went on to work on Capitol Hill and another, Julien Segura, ended up running for a State Assembly seat in the 71st District, which includes portions of Upper Manhattan. Brian Derrick, who also worked on Cummings’ campaign, went on to found the political advertising forum Oath.
“I am just so proud that our campaign was able to bring people together in a positive way,” Cummings said. They recalled getting the chance to meet neighbors from their district, which encompasses 96th to 165th Streets, and exchange stories with them. Cummings noted that many of their constituents and community members rely on gig or part-time work for income, similar to their own experiences.
“Drag is freelance. I’m a freelance worker,” Cummings said.
They now serve on the Democratic State Committee in a role that “helps shape the party’s platform and agenda,” according to a release from Cummings’ team. Cummings plans to spend their one-year term on the State Committee getting conservative Democrats out of leadership, especially those who cater to the financial interests of large corporations.
“Get out the centrists, get out the moderates, get out the people who are abandoning the trans community, get out the people who are trying to align more with conservative Trump values to win votes, and get the people who are actually going to fight for the people,” Cummings said. “That is my goal.”
On June 29, Cummings will serve as grand marshal alongside others, including Elisa Crespo, who ran to become what would have been the first trans woman of color elected to City Council at the same time as Cummings was running to become the first non-binary person elected. Other honorees include trans activist and DJ Lina Bradford and former White House Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was the first out Black woman to hold the position.
“Pride I think is going to be different this year,” Cummings said, “but I think it will be different from now going forward, and I think that’s a good thing. We don’t need corporations to tell us we’re accepted.”
