It was 1992. The AIDS crisis was decimating a generation of artists, thinkers, and friends while the political establishment mostly looked the other way or offered "thoughts and prayers" that didn't save lives. In the middle of this grief and rage, Zoe Leonard sat down and wrote a poem. She didn't think it would become a global icon. She didn't think it would be wheat-pasted on city walls thirty years later. She just wrote down a list of things she actually wanted in a leader, and I want a dyke for president was born.
It wasn't a campaign slogan. Not really. It was a manifesto of empathy.
Honestly, when you read it today, it still feels like a gut punch. It’s not just about identity politics. It’s about the radical idea that the person leading a country should actually understand what it’s like to struggle. To be broke. To wait in line at the clinic. To lose someone because the government didn't care.
The Gritty Origins of a Masterpiece
Zoe Leonard was part of the activist group GANG, a spin-off of ACT UP. They were frustrated. They were tired of the "lesser of two evils" choices in the 1992 election between George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The poem was originally written to be published in a small queer magazine, but it took on a life of its own almost immediately.
Leonard’s list is specific. It’s visceral. She writes that she wants a president who has had an abortion at sixteen, someone who has "stood in line at the unemployment office" and "been jobless and fired and laid off."
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The power of I want a dyke for president isn't just in the title word. It's in the demand for a leader who has experienced the "indignity" of being human in a system that often treats people like statistics. It asks for a president who has "crossed the desert" or "spent the night in a tomb." It’s poetic, sure, but it’s also a very literal demand for lived experience over polished resumes.
Why it exploded again decades later
You’ve probably seen it on Instagram. Or maybe on a tote bag at a protest. In 2016, a giant version of the poem was installed on a pillar of the High Line in New York City. The timing wasn't an accident. We were back in a cycle of intense political polarization, and Leonard’s words felt like they were written yesterday morning.
Some people get hung up on the word "dyke." They think it’s just about being provocative. But if you look at the context of New Queer Cinema and 90s activism, it was about reclamation. It was about taking a slur used to marginalize people and turning it into a badge of survival.
My Friend Myron once told me that the poem is basically the ultimate "litmus test" for empathy. If the poem makes you uncomfortable, maybe it’s because you’ve never had to worry about the things Leonard is talking about.
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Breaking down the imagery
The poem doesn't follow a standard structure. It’s a rhythmic, driving list.
- Medical Trauma: She mentions wanting a president who has had "a cross burned on their lawn" or "who has been raped." These aren't just shock tactics; they are the realities of many Americans.
- Economic Reality: The mention of "no health insurance" hits incredibly hard in a country where medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy.
- The "Lusty" President: She wants someone who has "fallen in love and been hurt." It’s a plea for a leader with a pulse, someone who isn't a "well-groomed" robot.
Basically, the poem is a rejection of the "professional politician" archetype. It suggests that the best person to lead a community is someone who has actually lived in it.
The Mykki Blanco Connection
In 2016, the artist Mykki Blanco did a filmed reading of the poem. It brought a whole new energy to the text. Watching a Black trans person recite those words in front of the camera added layers of intersectionality that felt incredibly urgent. It proved that while Leonard wrote it from her specific perspective as a lesbian in the 90s, the sentiment is universal for anyone who feels "othered" by the state.
People often ask if Leonard is actually "proposing" a candidate. Not exactly. It’s more of a thought experiment. It asks: What would happen if we stopped voting for the person we think looks like a president and started voting for the person who feels like us?
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Addressing the critics and misconceptions
Is it "divisive"? Some people think so. They argue that focusing on such specific hardships excludes the "average" person. But that’s kinda the point of the art. It’s supposed to be a corrective. For hundreds of years, the "average" president was a wealthy, white, land-owning man. Leonard is just swinging the pendulum back to show what’s missing.
Another misconception is that it’s purely an "anti-government" piece. It’s actually quite the opposite. To want a president who understands you is to believe that the office could work for you. It’s a weirdly hopeful piece of writing, even if it’s wrapped in anger.
How to engage with the work today
If you want to experience the poem properly, don't just read it on a screen. Look for the prints. Look for the video of Zoe Leonard talking about it. She’s often noted that she doesn't think a person who has experienced all those things would even be "allowed" to run for office, which is the ultimate irony of the piece.
It’s a document of a specific time—the height of the AIDS epidemic—but its DNA is in every modern grassroots movement. Whether it’s Black Lives Matter or the fight for reproductive rights, the demand for "lived experience" in leadership starts right here with this poem.
The text is now part of the permanent collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art. That’s a long way from being a photocopied flyer on a telephone pole in the East Village. But even in a museum, it retains its teeth. It still feels dangerous.
Key Takeaways for the Politically Curious
- Context is everything. You can't separate the poem from the 1990s AIDS crisis. It was written in a time of death and government silence.
- Identity is a tool, not just a label. The poem uses identity to highlight systemic failures in healthcare, housing, and justice.
- Art as activism works. The fact that we are still talking about a poem from 1992 proves that creative expression can outlast political cycles.
Actionable Next Steps
- Read the full text aloud. The rhythm of the poem changes when you speak it. It becomes a chant, a prayer, and a protest all at once.
- Research the GANG collective. If you’re interested in how art can influence politics, look up the other interventions this group did in the early 90s. They were masters of using public space.
- Support LGBTQ+ archives. Places like the Lesbian Herstory Archives or the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives keep the history of works like this alive. They often have original copies of the flyers and magazines where these manifestos first appeared.
- Look into Zoe Leonard's photography. While she's famous for this poem, she is primarily a visual artist. Her work on the changing landscape of cities and the passing of time provides a deeper context to her writing.
- Reflect on your own "I want" list. If you were to write a poem today about the qualities you want in a leader, what would be on your list? Focus on the experiences that are missing from the current political stage.
The legacy of I want a dyke for president isn't about finding one specific person to fill a role. It’s about demanding a world where the most marginalized people are given the most power. It’s a call to action that remains unfinished.