If Joan Jett Blakk had her way back in 1992 then William Jefferson Clinton would have never have been the 42nd President of this USA. Ms Blakk was an African-American openly gay drag queen….. the alter ego of queer activist Terence Alan Smith… and she was running as a write-in presidential candidate at the Democratic convention that year.
Running on Queer Nation Party Ticket an LGBTQ activist organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, by HIV/AIDS activists from ACT UP. With the country still in the middle of the AIDS pandemic, Blakk’s campaign highlighted how so little was been done for those with HIV+
This delightful new short documentary (10 mins) the sophomore film by Whitney Skauge mixes archival footage with an interview with the disarmingly charming Smith. Still, an activist he has a twinkle in his eye as talks about how he mixed his serious intentions with humor. His campaign slogan was ‘LICK BUSH IN 92’ and ‘she’ had promised to make America “more fabulous, more fruitful and more glamorous.” Blakk also made a very valid point, “If a bad actor can be elected president, why not a good drag queen?”
It’s a great piece of queer history that we are grateful to know about.
The Beauty President from Breakwater Studios is being screened at Outfest Film Fest
Labels: 2021, documentary, drag queen, Joan Jett Blakk, short
