233

[Mark Geller]

Joan Jett-Blakk for President: By Any Means Necessary. 1992.

Offset lithograph poster
28 x 21 in. (71.1 x 53.3 cm.)

  • Provenance: In 1992 drag queen and activist Terrance Alan Smith ran for president of the United States as Joan Jett-Blakk, representing the Queer Nation Party. Her memorable slogan from the ultimately unsuccessful campaign was "Lick Bush in '92." With plans to have Dykes on Bikes patrolling America's borders, and to paint the White House lavender, her campaign was effective in its cutting satire and helped bring queer issues into the American political debate. As Smith she was able to sneak in to the Democratic National Convention in Madison Square Garden, where she changed back into a star spangled mini dress and announced her candidacy from the floor of the convention, a performance that caused Pat Buchanan to proclaim that her appearance was "the greatest single exhibition of cross-dressing in American political history."

    The famous Malcolm X phrase "By Any Means Necessary" is invoked and the image is reminiscent of the famous 1967 poster of Black Panther leader Huey Newton in a rattan chair, but Newton's rifle and spear are here replaced by what appears to be an early Nerf rifle.
  • Condition:
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August 21, 2025 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

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