Queen Of New York follows Marti Gould Cummings, a drag performer living in New York City. Their name is actually Marti, spelled with an “I,” so they use it performing also. Well, according to Cummings, there is no discernible difference between their stage persona and their real life so it’s not a performance so much as a lifestyle thorough and thorough. Director Emma Fidel follows this energetic person as they run for city council in 2021. If successful, Cummings would be the first drag queen and the first non-binary person elected in a Big Apple election. But is their lifestyle too much of a turn-off to some potential voters? What does it take to run a genuinely independent campaign?
Cummings is upfront about their lifestyle and the numerous issues they’ve faced, including addiction. The candidate delivers groceries to those in need every week and gets the word out about the campaign, along with volunteers, all while being filmed. It is a lot, so when they talk about being able to handle pressure well, that certainly seems to be the case. The volunteers who are interviewed are enthused by what Cummings represents to the political landscape, especially if successful. It’s all interesting stuff, especially if politics floats your boat, so to speak.

“If successful, Cummings would be the first drag queen and the first non-binary person elected…”
However, the most compelling part of Queen Of New York is how Cummings interacts with the other Democratic candidates. Due to the newly implemented choice-ranking system, the election is no longer a direct competition. So everyone running asks to be placed in the first spot but then encourages the voters to include this or that candidate in second or third place, and so on. This gives the candidates the ability to really get to know each other and understand their viewpoints, offering valuable insight to one another. Heck, one of them, Maria Ordoñez, is interviewed throughout the documentary,
Fun is what Cummings says they are trying to bring back to election campaigns. Well, Queen Of New York is a personable and fun look at politics. Fidel shows how energized Cummings made the LGBTQIA+ community by being able to run as themselves. This film is proof that there is room for everyone to have a voice in politics.
For more information, visit the official Queen Of New York site.