“I’ve been a merm my whole life,” says The Blixunami, one of the mermaids featured in MerPeople, the new docuseries about the rapidly growing community of professional mermaids. “Since I was in the womb, technically. I was in the water there, too.”
The Blixunami describes themselves as a “nonbinary merm,” who uses any pronoun: “They, it, she, merm, creature person. All the things.” Originally from South Carolina and currently living in the Bronx, The Blixunami is described by their peers in MerPeople as “this incredible force of nature who’s become an inspiration in the community.” Their energy is infectious, and it’s easy to see why fellow mermaids have predicted they’re going to be famous — in fact, The Blixunami is already on their way, having recorded and produced a music video for a single called “Splish Splash on ’Em.”
Though The Blixunami’s arc on MerPeople focuses on their attempts to grow their mermaiding career by way of creating art and sharing it with others, they say that their approach to the craft isn’t so much a job, nor is it a hobby — it’s a lifestyle.
“This is 24/7, 365 for me. This is all day, every day. It’s like I breathe, sleep and eat [being a mermaid],” they say. They first realized their passion for mermaids when they were a kid, and that childlike fascination hasn’t waned. The first time we see The Blixunami in MerPeople, they’re showing off their mermaid Barbie collection. However, despite their lifelong obsession, there wasn’t always much mermaid representation for Black queer mermaids like them.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that mermaiding is only for girls, or that it’s only for women or gay men,” The Blixunami says. “That’s not true. I want people to see my story and be like, ‘If they’re doing it, I can too.”
You can follow The Blixunami on Instagram.
Watch MerPeople on Netflix now.
