The First Drag Queen To Run For President

The day Joan Jett Blakk (aka Terence Alan Smith) turned 35 years old, he declared his candidacy for President of the United States. A year before, he had challenged Richard M. Daley for Mayor of Chicago. So his aspirations for higher office did not come as a surprise to most people. 

Paperwork showed that the campaign and candidate was for the drag character of Joan Jett Blakk and not Smith, as some have speculated. Whether or not that would have been allowed remains a source of debate. Though, some believe that everyone involved knew that the campaign had no way of winning. 

That line of thinking bothered Blakk. 

While many people took their candidacy as a joke, Blakk was very serious about bringing change to the country. Some of the policies he petitioned for were equal rights for the queer community, insurance for all, among many others. 

But Blakk was completely aware of expectations of their reputation and the belief around drag queens in general: camp is the name of the game. He promised to run against President George H.W. Bush with an over-the-top campaign.

 He told reporters: "So often activism, especially Queer Nation activism, is angry. That needs to be, but at the same time, we can have some fun."

The campaign slogan took aim at the incumbent president: Lick Bush.

His candidacy irked quite a few people, mostly on the right side of the aisle. Many republicans thought of Blakk as a distraction, nothing more than a sideshow to distract from what they considered the real issues. 

But it wasn't just conservatives that were not happy with Blakk being a candidate. Some democrats also took issue with their campaign, worrying whether or not it would distract from Bill Clinton's bid for the presidency. 

That concern turned out to be moot. Clinton won the election in a landslide. 

But sadly, Blakk and the legacy of his campaign is not as widely known as it should be.

Boldly On Stage

Joan Jett Blakk wanted to make a big splash in the 1992 election. He made plans to attend the Democratic National Convention in New York City. Despite the fact that he was not invited to the event. 

Rather than feeling defeated about the issue, he decided that he would make it happen no matter what. After making a few deals with people in the Chicago area, he was able to secure a flight to Manhattan. From there, it would take a little more ingenuity, but he would be able to secure a spot during the convention. 

Once in New York City, Blakk began to work crowds and call in favors. A few of the bars around the city asked for him to perform. He sought out various rallies and other gatherings where he could call attention to himself and the campaign. 

Blakk also made time to have cocktails and discuss issues with various politicians that were in the city like: Congressman Barney Frank, Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, gay city Councilman Tom Duane, and mayoral liaison to the LGBTQIA+ community, Dr. Marjorie Hill. 

During the buildup to the convention, Blakk secured a half an hour interview with Gay Cable News and the queer hosted program The Brenda and Glenda Show on Public Access TV. 

Staff at the Gay Cable News offered their press passes for Blakk to get into the DNC. 

It looked like things were turning around for Blakk and his campaign. They would be able to get to the convention and take the stage. This would give him an opportunity to try to sway voters to his side. 

But there was a hiccup.

Lou Maletta, a producer for Gay Cable News, saw the outfit that Blakk intended to wear and balked. He said it would not fit with the mission of his organization to allow it. 

Blakk's campaign hit back and said that it wasn't about them, it was about the candidate. Further, they argued that no one would associate Blakk with the news organization, outside of the interview. 

"Terence will do what he wants, and his candidacy has been all about drag."

But Maletta stuck to his guns and said he would pull the press pass if Blakk insisted on wearing the outfit. Staffers for the campaign pleaded with the candidate to change his mind about the clothes, they pointed out that if they didn't get to the convention then everything they had done was for nothing.

The candidate relented and agreed to wear something else.

To The Convention And Conversation

On July 12, 1992, Blakk and the Gay Cable News crew made their way through security for the convention and into Madison Square Garden. The group began to talk about what would happen next.

Maletta asked Blakk what the plan was going to be. Whatever he was hoping for did not come to fruition. 

Blakk answered: "Actually would like to say that I am a presidential candidate and that I couldn't wear what I wanted to on the floor."

"And then what? Then, the things that you would be doing as president? Where's your presidential speech?" Maletta asked. 

One of the campaign staffers handed Blakk his speech. They talked about his platform a bit and how it would be good for the queer community. Everyone seemed happy with how things were going to go.

They filmed an interview on the floor, which was as close to the action as anyone thought they were going to get. But fate and Blakk had other ideas. 

Capitalizing on mass confusion, Blakk got changed in a bathroom. Reportedly under the guise of getting ready for a press conference at another venue. 

But as Governor Mario Cuomo is announced, a Gay Cable News microphone is thrust into Blakk's hand. And then the drag queen walks out on stage to massive applause. 

Blakk told the crowd: "Thank you. Thank you. Oh, I just don't know what to say. Thank you. I'm going to take this nomination and run with it. Thank you, oh God. You'll be proud of me, America."

While Joan Jett Blakk did not receive the democratic nomination for president, he did accept the Queer Nation nomination. 

Lost To History

The 1992 election was won by President William Jefferson Clinton. It is not known how many votes Blakk received in the election. However, the drag queen stayed popular for a time after his loss. 

During an interview, Blakk was asked about his reason for running and whether or not he thought it was actually a good idea for someone known for comedy to run for president. 

Blakk responded: “I keep hearing this joke. It starts out (with) Ronald Reagan. Then it goes on George Bush. And the punch-line is Dan Quayle! Now I ask you, how can I hurt the presidency any more than that?”

After Clinton signed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bill into law, Blakk decided to run for president again in 1996. This time his slogan was "Lick Slick Willie." 

Despite the popularity of Joan Jett Blakk, their star eventually faded away. The story of the first drag queen to run for president seemed bound to be lost as a footnote of the 1992 election, overshadowed by another independent politician running for office, Ross Perot. 

The story of Blakk and their audacious campaign for president deserves to be remembered. Not just by the LGBTQIA+ community but by America as a whole.