Bimini teases campaign for Mayor of London 2024: ‘We’ll see’
"I feel like we are stronger together and we are brighter together, and we’ve got to this point together so we shouldn’t divide now."
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Attitude
Everybody’s favourite east-London drag queen, Bimini, has teased that they could run for office in the next few years. While sadly not to be UK Prime Minister, they didn’t deny that they could consider running to become London’s next mayor. Mayor Bimini has quite a ring to it too…
Speaking to Attitude at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, Bimini, who won the Style Award and appears on the cover of the Attitude Awards issue, spoke of their friendship with London’s current mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Bimini at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar (Photography: Kit Oates)
They also discussed some of the hardships facing the country’s LGBTQ community, which we know would be priority numero uno for the prospective mayor.
Asked about their friendship with Khan, Bimini said “I think he’s just keeping the seat warm for when I run in four years time,” with a chuckle before adding “I’m joking”.
However, when pressed on whether they’d actually consider it they didn’t shoot the idea down…
Bimini collected the Style Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar (Photography: Kit Oates)
“I don’t know, we’ll see… I’ve always done a lot of political [stuff], I did a journalism degree and I feel like a lot of stuff I spoke about was political. We’ll see, I think Sadiq is an amazing mayor, and I think what they do is incredible and I really love them.”
While not pressed on what policies they would consider, Bimini did discuss some of the hardships faced by the LGBTQ community at present. They said: “I think it’s very sad that there’s a lot of rhetoric going on right now in the media that’s trying to damage the rights of certain groups of people, and I think that it’s very wrong and it’s very damaging.
Bimini wears dress by Moschino, and gloves by Anastasia Bull for the Attitude Awards issue. (Photography by Jordan Rossi; Photography assistants Sam Lort, Jed Barnes, Chelsea Nawanga; Hair Assistant: Nick Rose; Fashion: Joseph Kocharian; Professional fashion assistant: Sacha Dance; Hair by Ross Kwan using Bumble & Bumble makeup and nails; Byron London using Smashbox Cosmetics UK and nails by Killer Queen Klaws)
“I think that the conversations they have aren’t actually progressing anything. They’re just creating a moral panic and there’s also a division within the LGBTQ+ community, which is not something I support or endorse or want to be a part of.
“I feel like we are stronger together and we are brighter together, and we’ve got to this point together so we shouldn’t divide now.”
“This award means so much to me, because for a lot of years I looked like sh*t!”@biminibabes‘ Attitude Style Award acceptance speech is pure punk. ✌️🇬🇧#AttitudeAwards pic.twitter.com/RVRAbpHovh
— Attitude Magazine (@AttitudeMag) October 6, 2021
On how they will use their platform to speak up on the issues that matter to them, they said: “I will always take about issues that mean something to me whether that is talking about the anti-trans rhetoric that is happening right now, or whether it’s something else.
“Drag itself is political, drag itself is an act of defense against what society expects of you and we should never forget that.”
Here’s hoping for Bimini 2024!
The Attitude Awards issue is out now.
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