BiMate: Anna Maria Staiano

Take a seat and introduce yourself.
I grew up in Naples and swittly moved to London after discovering David Bowie and learning English from his songs. I was so disappointed when I found out that nobody else spoke like him!

I started attending the London Bi Group on Valentine’s day 1992 and since then I have been involved in many aspects of Bi activism. I was on the LBG and the Pride Biseuxal working
group committees, volunteered on the bi-phone line, co-ran two Bi Women’s Day Schools.and attended numerous Bicons. I also joined the Sexual Freedom Coalition becoming a Judge for the Erotic Awards and helping to organise the Sex Maniacs Ball which raises money for the charity Outsiders. I did an MA in Film, worked for the London Film Festival, the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the International Transgender Film Festival and produced a number of queer shorts and documentaries shown world wide such as "The Other Other" and "Fragile Skin".

I’m currently living in Spain and filming a a surreal pansexual drag short.

Which Olympic sport (current or wished for) could you represent your country in?
Posing as a drag queen. Or just posing in general.

What’s the best collective noun for bisexuals?
Us

What’s your favourite film?
"The Hunger" – how could a film with David Bowie, Catherine Denueve and Susan Sarandon go wrong? Also "Love and Human Remains" because it’s full of amazing pansexual characters and good lines

When did you know you were bisexual?
Since I can remember I fancied boys and girls. I only realised when I was a tenenager that not everybody felt the same way.

What’s your favourite sexual memory?
My first time with a girl. My first time with a boy. I think I’ve been very lucky with that.

What’s your favourite thing about being bi?
Learning to ASSUME NOTHING and being exposed to challenging alternative lifestyles such as polyamory, SM, genderfuck. The freedom to be a louche Drag King, a Fag Shag, a gothic SM Bat Queen, a silver glitter Hooker Fairy or a Leatherette Witch at will.

What’s your favourite sex accessory?
A kinky mind, a wicked tongue and my Hitachi magic Wand.

Who do you respect the most in the world?
Honest and fair people.

What / who has inspired you the most?
David Bowie and Angie Bowie were the first bisexuals I ever heard of. Reading Angie’s biography opened up a whole new world for me. They seemed so outrageous and glamorous and they were married with a child!

Which historical person would you most like to meet?
Quentin Crisp for tea and a bit of polare. Colette in the boudoir.

What / who has inspired you the most?
Everything . But for roaring laughter I like spinning round to 70’s disco music, or any John Waters and Carry On films

What is your most unlikely-to-be-fulfilled sexual fantasy?
Digging my hard on into a young David Bowie strapped face down onto a butchers table.

What should people try?
The Retro Moderniste Health and Fitness Programme. Its motto is: "I am and always have been beautiful. Everybody is beautiful. With the help of the Retro Moderniste Programme we can ALL realise our potential to be BEAUTIFUL"

What are you most proud / ashamed of?
I’ve persuaded all of my partners: dykes. faggots, straight boys and straight girls into tasting the juicy fruits of bisexuality for the first time. I have no shame.

What about your life would most surprise your 16 year old self?
How I started a new International career in my 30’s as disco-dolly bait, a retro moderniste club attraction, freaky fashion icon and ambidrag phenomenon.

Cake Award winner Anna Maria was interrogated by Jen and photographed by John Carr.