At 31, Martin Namias, known by her drag queen name “Miss Martini”, will carry the Olympic flame on one of the stages of the relay in the south of France, to “bring joy” and defend an inclusive society.
“It’s an honor to be able to do it and I think it’s important that the whole world can see that in France, you can be a drag queen and carry the Olympic flame,” confides Miss Martini.
She prides herself on being the first drag queen of the relay, on May 11 in Digne-les-Bains, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, three days after the arrival of the flame on Wednesday in Marseille. Another drag queen, Minima Gesté, is scheduled to take part in the flame during its visit to Paris on July 14 and 15.
Profession: physiotherapist
Physiotherapist by profession, Martin Namias began performing in drag under the name Miss Martini in 2015, “everywhere in Marseille, in all LGBT+ places”, but not only. For example, he performs a monthly show at the Cabaret de l’Étoile Bleue.
He welcomes the AFP to his Marseille apartment by putting on makeup and adorning himself in a frilly red dress, a long blonde wig and a sparkling silver necklace, before going out for a walk in the streets of the second city in France.
Accustomed to these resplendent outfits, as for a photo shoot during which he “incarnated the Olympic flame” in an incandescent dress, he will have to, with regret, be content with the sober white jersey of the flame bearers on the day of the relay. But he still plans to “accessorize it all” with “a beautiful belt, beautiful heels and an incredible wig”.
All to “put on a show, make people dance, put joy in the eyes of the public, make them dream”, over the 200 m which will see him carry the flame to Digne-les-Bains, on May 11 at 12:21 p.m.
“The values of the Olympic Games are universal”
Beyond this festive presence on the relay, Miss Martini also intends to carry a message in favor of an inclusive society where everyone has their place. In Paris, the drag queen chosen to carry the flame was the subject of digital harassment relayed by far-right media », According to the city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo.
“It is obvious that the far right finds it inappropriate for a drag queen to carry the Olympic flame, it is quite the opposite, it is a debate and a reflection which is opening up, it is inclusiveness which is shown,” assures Martin.
Miss Martini also wants to raise awareness about the participation of transgender people in competitions.
After the first participation in the Tokyo Olympics of a transgender athlete, in weightlifting, this question is a headache for sports institutions. In November 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) passed the buck to each sport, highlighting the lack of “scientific consensus on the role of testosterone in performance across sports”.
“It’s not an OK response,” says Martin Namias, who sees it as “a way of prohibiting trans people from participating” in the category they want.
And added: “The values of the Olympic Games are magnificent and universal. We are for sport and inclusiveness + all + together. Society is evolving, and I think the Olympic system must evolve at the same time.”
