As Baltimore’s unofficial filmmaker laureate, John Waters’ influence permeates the city, from its cinema culture to its very streets. Now, the man who introduced the world to “filth politics” in Pink Flamingos is weighing in on Charm City’s local politics: in a new video, he endorses activist DeRay Mckesson for mayor.
“I realize many candidates wouldn’t want my endorsement,” the Pope of Trash acknowledges, in a clip released by the Mckesson campaign. But he goes on to explain why he chose to support DeRay, implying that the candidate’s pivotal role in the Black Lives Matter movement influenced his decision:
I told my friend, the current mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, “You found out what I always knew: when trouble happens, liberals can sometimes turn to reactionaries quickly.” And I guess I’m included. I’m not sure what I can do to help Baltimore with its problems these days — so why not let somebody younger and more radical than I am have a crack at it?
Waters also praises Mckesson’s platform, visibility on the national stage, his “un-macho but still angry raised fist,” and, of course, “his fashion sense.”