Joan Jett Blakk for President: Cross-Dressing at the Democratic National Convention
1993; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 37; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/1146317
ISSN1531-4715
Autores Tópico(s)Art, Politics, and Modernism
ResumoThe Democrats never knew what hit 'em. On the third and final day of their 1992 political hoe-down New York City's Madison Square Garden, a visioned festooned a red, white, and blue miniskirt ensemble, Queer Nation drag queen African American presidential candidate Joan Jett Blakk, appeared on the convention floor. Part guerilla theatre, part Queer zap-action for visibility, the event both broke new ground and rests within the tradition of American political hijinx. Joan Jett Blakk is Terrence Smith, a native of Chicago and one of the founders of the Chicago chapter of Queer Nation. A loosely organized nationwide vigilante political action group devoted to enhancing the visibility of Queers and Queer issues, the group is noted for its in your face tactics. The media savvy Chicago contingent realized that something needed to be done their city when Richard Daley was running uncontested for mayor 1991. Queer Nation turned to local drag performer and founding member Smith, who exploiting cultural anxiety to a level that would make Marjorie Garber scream for Esther Newton,' entered the race as his drag persona Joan Jett Blakk.2 Officially registered candidate Blakk promised, Once elected, the first thing I'm going to do is change the police to the fashion police. Who knows after that-dye the river pink on Fridays. I'll take it as it comes. Blakk lost the mayoral election but achieved one of the effort's goals: We just wanted to increase gay visibility and fight a rising homophobia here Chicago, but do it a not-so-tense way that everyone could have with. Everyone knew that Daley was going to win, so we just wanted to have some fun (in Rodrich 1991:9). The success of the mayoral race set Blakk's goals higher and prompted him to throw his wig into the race for president. On the first day he became legally eligible, his 35th birthday, a press conference was thrown where Blakk uttered the phrase that would become the catch phrase of his presidential camp-aign, If a bad actor can be elected president, why not a good drag queen? In line with such candidates as Pat Paulsen,3 and the true independent-if less well funded-spirit of such candidates as Ross
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