From Miss Personality to Miss Lovely Legs, Margate is famous for its beauty queens. This year the team behind the Margate Pride celebrations took this familiar fixture and gave it a little spice with the very first Mx Margate, A Very Queer Beauty Pageant.
CommunityAd chatted with Margate Pride director Amy Redmond to find out more.
What prompted you to run a beauty pageant in Margate?
We were keen to raise up new talent and showcase local LGBTQ+ talent. Having witnessed Margate carnival’s beauty pageant in their “Miss Margate” sashes, we had often discussed how fun it would be to introduce a queer version. We are also inspired by the somewhat camp, tragic, yet cute faded glamour of Miss World, the hilarity of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and films like Best in Show. We know our community is full of wonderful show-offs up for this kind of challenge, and the audience are ready to cheer them on with us.
Why is this event so important?
Pride is vital and urgent. Homophobic attacks are on the rise, there are 69 countries that have laws that criminalise homosexuality. Tolerance and acceptance have to start locally, and an event like Margate Pride is essential for the development and heart of our town.
What impact do you hope this will have on Thanet’s queer community? Will this be a recurring event?
We have talked a lot this year about the importance of visible LGBTQ+ joy. It is important the whole community sees our community having fun and celebrating, as we should. An artwork by Rachael House as part of our art trail stated “Queer joy is an act of resistance” and we couldn’t agree more. Mx Margate is annual and here to stay.
People often have a very fixed idea of what the LGBTQIA+ community looks like – do you think this will help change that?
We hope people feel welcome to attend all and any Pride celebrations happening around town and that they see freedom, love, and tolerance at the heart of the events, and that they welcome that same feeling into their lives, homes, and minds. It is super important to us to be as inclusive as possible, representing all communities, not only within the LGBTQ+ umbrella, but all the minority intersections including ability, race, age, gender, and ethnicity. Our pride is for everybody, allies alike.