The text is attached here. I am also including a couple articles written about Zoe Leonard's poem displayed as a billboard in New York City during the time of the U.S. Presidential election in 2016. Included is also a video of performance artist Mykki Blanco reading Leonard's poem, which provides a different context for understanding the poem.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zoe-leonard-i-want-a-president-billboard_us_57f6402ce4b05f39c51e5024
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/exkv5n/this-radical-feminist-poem-is-now-a-giant-ass-art-installation
https://youtu.be/y6DgawQdSlQ
I thought the poem "I Want a Dyke for President" written by artist and activist Zoe Leonard was very moving. The poem basically says that they want a president that is not like the standard "perfect" white males that have been president. They want someone without white privilege, someone who's experienced life's hardships. Someone who doesn't think that we all have the choice of picking our subject positions. This poem connects with many walks of life. Many of our past presidents haven't experienced life like this poem describes. I personally don't think that we know everything that people have been through regardless of their race, class, gender, etc. and not everything that's gold glitters.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you bring up about privilege and how it encompasses our ideas of what a "good" president should look like. Instead of understanding a person for who they are, we're more looking at what sort of socioeconomic background they have or whether or not they're educated from an Ivy League.
DeleteI think Zoe Leonard's poem is very relevant given today's political climate. In 2016, Donald Trump was elected over Hillary Clinton. He is male, white, and incredibly rich, so he benefits from a wide variety of privileges. As such, he does not understand what it is like to be marginalized. It's easy to suggest that we do not need welfare if you are not poor, or easy to say we do not need to legalize gay marriage if you are not gay. That's why Leonard's poem is so relevant right now. American presidents are traditionally very privileged. Few of them know the struggles of the average American because they are so far removed from it. By electing a president who is gay, or transgender, or has been unemployed, or has been harassed, or any of the other things she mentions, the country would be led by someone who intimately understands those struggles, rather than one who tries to sympathize or simply does not care. Just as it appears that more people are feeling free to say hateful things or commit hateful acts because of the leaders they see mirror that behavior, perhaps if there was a leader that brought light to these concerns, it would lessen this behavior. More and more people feel that it is okay to try to stifle the voices of those fighting for their freedoms, and it is not okay. It's hard to see bills be passed that deeply affect myself or those close to me, all by someone who is not effected in the slightest. Perhaps what we need is a president who intimately understands what it is like to be marginalized, so that they can passionately protect those who are.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with your opinion. That’s what I saw in the article. It is true that president is elected among the good educated, rich and males in the U.S. Moreover, female is still on the unfair social situation in U.S. More and more countries and areas are accepting the female leadership and lead by a woman, but the U.S. still need more time to absorb this idea.
DeleteZoe Leonard's "I Want a Dyke for President" is applicable to any presidency in U.S. history, but not as much as this past election. Leonard's poem represent her resentment against a systematic oppression that continues to neglect marginalized communities. What she wants is a person who has experienced life in the way a white person cannot. Specifically, in the way a stereotypical presidential candidate cannot relate to because history has shown that in order to become president, you need money. People born with a silver spoon in their mouths do not understand the difficulties of life in the way oppressed communities do, therefore their role as a president wont be as effective compared to someone that satisfies Leornard's deisres. It is especially relevent today because of Trump's presidency given lack of political knowledge/experience. Her message unfortunately sounds like a distant future that will not be attainable without a radical change in our system.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it will take radical change for there to be a president who has experienced life without privilege.
DeleteIt would be nice if the United States took some notes from other countries to expand inclusivity and representation in the government regardless of one’s background. Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, is a good example of a leader who has been through the obstacles of life. Because of his experiences, he was able to relate to the underprivileged population in his country and was able to alleviate some of their hardships. But just like you mentioned, it may take a while for our country to move forward and have a leader that doesn’t fit the stereotype of a rich white male.
DeleteThe poem ‘I Want a Dye for President”, by Zoe Leonard encompasses the voice of oppressed and marginalized communities. Historically, the past presidents have been upper class, wealthy cis het white men. From positions of privilege, the past and current presidents are unable to relate to the limitations and hardships marginalized communities face due to an oppressive system created to benefit them. Leonard desires for a president who has experienced hardships created by a capitalist system for being black, queer, trans*, and poor. During the 2016 elections, the two leading candidates were Trump and Hillary. Many people argued Hillary was the lesser of two evils, but it still did not justify the hardships non white folks undergo. With Trump as the current president, he is the opposite of the ideal president and instead reflects the hate of marginalized communities. To me, Leonard’s poem reflects the reality non white folks have lived because of their gender, race, sexuality, ability, and socioeconomic status.
ReplyDeleteI agree that much of today's political conflict arises from problematic positions of privilege that many politicians occupy. They are unable to understand the positions of marginalized communities and thus do not see how societal issues such as crime and poverty come to be. None of the major candidates in the 2016 election show investment in addressing these communities or investment in creating a more inclusive system and thus showed little understanding of their realities.
DeleteMy impression of the poem is very similar to yours! I agree that most presidential candidates cannot be relatable to POC because of the privilege that they've held throughout their lives, so they cannot know what POC have experienced and cannot pretend to relate to the oppression that POC face.
DeleteThe poem "I Want a Dyke for President”, written by artist and activist Zoe Leonard in 1992, is very emotional and it also relate to today’s political situation. In the United Stated presidency history, all the presidents were educated, wealthy and male. It could say that male has absolutely power and privilege in the election. However, these presidents are from rich family background, they never know the life of the poor people and endure hardship of the life. Basing on their wealth life experiences, they could not know how to change the poor situation for the poor communities. In the meanwhile, the presidents always are the “prefect” persons so that they may only focuses most on the same or similar level communities. Thus, Leonard wanted a president whom are unperfect person. In that case, the president could give extract supports to the communities which really need. Therefore, the poor community could get finance supports, the LGBT community could be respected, and the gay marriage could be supported. At the same time, in 2016 election, Donald Trump was elected over Hillary Clinton. It reflected that the female power is still not strong enough in the political part. The stereotype of feminist still exists. Most people could not believe that women can be a leader.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most civilians don't trust a woman to be a leader of a country. Therefore, it is our job as the younger generation to dismantle the stigma of a woman not being able to be a leader. For once I want to see a change in our government because right now it is disappointing to see how corrupted it has evolved throughout the years.
DeleteI agree, during this election there was a lot of misogynistic views about having Hillary as president. Also shows the limited privilege of white women.
DeleteZoe Leonard's poem, "I Want A Dyke For President" successfully presents its message to the public. I understand why this poem resurfaced during the 2016 presidential election. During the election, the two nominees were the stereotypical image of a president described at the end of the poem. One can say that President Donald Trump was seen as a clown, a white elite who only represented the white elite class during the presidential elections. He disregarded the minority groups because he doesn't possess a clear understanding of the struggles many woman, poor, and LGBTQ individuals experience. On the other hand, Hilary Clinton was incriminated as a liar which overshadowed her want to help the minority groups(woman,poor,and the LGBTQ community). Therefore, this poem was very powerful during the 2016 presidential election because it was imploring for an imperfect president who would be able understand the many underrepresented minority groups. I hope that someday our society will accept the fact of allowing a woman to lead the country or someone who doesn't come from a privileged background.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree in that President Trump was seen as the clown and after reading your post I was like oh yeah "...a candidate who isn't the lesser of two evils." Because I remember that most people tended to say "Oh well at least Donald Trump did not hide emails like Hilary Clinton" and it's just like really is that what we have to choose from, one who is not as bad as the other but still not good either. I enjoyed reading your post and I like how you brought up the 2016 election in yours.
DeleteI think Zoe Leonard’s poem “I Want a Dyke For President” is a signifier that the presidents we’ve had so far in the United States are wealthy upper class white men. It is a call to action to change the system and be more inclusive of others with different subject positions, especially those who are part of the minority. Leonard lists the qualities that past and present presidents of the US don’t have to emphasize the standard of being an upper class white male to qualify for a governmental position. There was a resurgence of this poem during the 2016 presidential elections because of the uproar about Donald Trump being elected as president. It opposed Trump’s position as a white privileged male and called for a more relatable candidate that would pave way in the system for other underprivileged people who are hoping to make a difference in the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I automatically connected it to Trump and his presidency. I think it is interesting that people from 1992 felt the same way we do now.
DeleteKnowing the outcome of the 2016 election that invoked the resurgence of this poem makes the reading of it that much more depressing. Now more than ever I wish that the author had gotten what she wanted as it feels like the freedoms we've recently gained in this country are being taken right out from under us. Throughout the poem, Leonard champions people who are traditionally seen as the farthest thing from a perfect, clean-cut president or politician or leader. While the person without health insurance or with AIDS or who had done drugs may be called out for their "irresponsibility," they are undoubtedly people who would lead others after learning from their own mistakes. They are people who carry unique mindsets and solutions to problems that the "clean-cut" people haven't been able to fix for decades. More importantly, Leonard underscores the complete ignorance and irresponsibility of American voters, who go along with the absurd notion that all politicians are evil anyway, and thus are fine with a broken system and their limited, poor, abhorrent options. This irresponsibility shows itself in not only the outcome of the election, but in how the election atmosphere escalated and turned politics into a media circus.
ReplyDeleteLeonard emphasizes an important yet hidden cause of today's political stagnation when she expresses her wish for a president that shatters the modern image of a good leader. The irony is that many American voters understand that politicians and presidential candidates are often "liars and thieves," but to stray from the image of these same politicians is seen as foolish, as if dykes, black women, or people who have survived rape as presidents would be any worse that the current politicians who rob tax payers, defund education and healthcare, and disregard human rights. The person who participates in civil disobedience in my eyes clearly has more invested in changing the system that one who uses the system to take advantage of others. While I agree with Eileen Myles and wish for a "she" as president, I do want more than just a "she." Like Leonard, I want the person who has undergone therapy and understands the importance of mental health, or the person who has done drugs and understands that incarceration is not a viable solution to addiction. However, for now, even just a moderate "she" would be better than someone who capitalizes on the manipulation of hate to reach the White House.
The poem “I Want a Dyke for President” was very personally moving to me, and very much so resonates with the political atmosphere of the 2016 presidential election. Again, a rich, white, man was elected president, and in no way does he understand what it is like to be a marginalized person today. The poem is relevant to the election as a whole more-so because the candidates in most cases misunderstand marginalized communities, and do not make a point to reflect on how their actions affect those communities. Zoe Leonard I think is searching for anyone to understand the struggles of any marginalized communities, to understand the process, and what people have to go through while they sit in an extremely privileged position. Often I find that those in power pass laws and bills that directly affect the marginalized communities, sitting them in a position to stay marginalized and oppressed. I relate to this struggle, I’m frustrated with the unwillingness of our system to change, how it always seems to be the same rich white males in power. I too wish for a president who can at least on some level relate to what it is like to be average, to be poor, to be marginalized.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that presidents who don't know what it's like to be marginalized can't understand the struggles of those who are. For example, if our current president knew what it was like, his presidency would be different. He would make efforts at helping people, not spreading hate. So I agree that this is the reason Leonard wishes someone who is not privileged, and who knows what its like to be marginalized, should take office
DeleteI found this poem very shockingly. Although, it was a very interesting poem that I agree with. It makes a lot more sense to make someone our President that has been through problems that normal people go through everyday. Even as simple as standing in line for the DMV or welfare. If the President were to be in our shoes, the world would have been completely different. There wouldn't be these high expectations from everyone. My favorite is "who has made mistakes and learned from them". If you do not make mistakes and do not know how to fix yourself, you'll never understand how anyone else feels in that position. This was published in 1992 and it interesting how this understanding still holds to this day. I can relate to this poem because if you haven't experienced several events, you'll never know how it feels to be like that. Very interesting poem that really caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteI really like how focused on how the poem made you think of the president as needing to be more of a person in a normal community, and "be in our shoes." I agree that making mistakes if a learning opportunity, and even our president should have to experience those things too.
DeleteI definitely agree with what you’re saying. I believe it is important to have a president that has characteristics of being a normal person. Someone that we could relate to and not have to live up to some of these high expectations that are sometimes hard to achieve.
DeleteI totally agree with you. It was shocking to me too. It does make sense to have a president who has been through similar experiences as most of the population in the U.S. Most of the population in our country is not rich, having a president that more people could relate to would make us a more powerful and thriving country.
DeleteWhen reading the poem, I have an understanding that Leonard wants a president who is not like everyone else, but is also like everyone else. Instead of having the prim and proper caricature of a “typical” president, Leonard voices her wants of having a president who has had the struggles and experiences of a person who has been sexually harassed, who has grown near or on a toxic waste dump, or someone who unapologetically has sex. All in all, she envisions a president who isn’t limited to our ideology of a “good president”. Most of all, I think she wants us to be able to see a president whom we can project on and related on to some level - a kind of person that may look like us, come from the same background as we do, or just an actual human being we can see ourselves being on the same level with (not just some Ivy league trained, rich family, living life with no struggle kind of person). This also makes me think critically on what I see as empowering figures and ideals that are perhaps beneficial to myself and other people. In her lingo, I want to see a queer, chicana who fights back against racism and sexism, who spits in the face of her oppressors, who embodies La Causa and fights for the rights of her people and her people’s people. It’s gut wrenching, emotionally powerful, and makes me critical of my world.
ReplyDeleteZoe Leonard’s poem “I Want a Dyke For President” held a lot of meaning. Not only does it highlight that there should be diversity when it comes to the presidents that we choose, but it also makes me think we do not have enough pure human qualities demonstrated by the presidents we do elect. Until Barack Obama, we have had white men as president. We have had presents with disabilities, diseases, and problems of their own, but specifically today the people who are different, and not “perfect,” are considered illegitimate candidates. Even if our presidents did have a “troubled past” or had a childhood that was difficult and everything wasn’t handed to them they aren’t highlighted or spoken about. These experiences are hidden. Many people have made it wrong to be human as a president. To make mistakes, and have things go wrong in their past. The longer this has gone on, the harder it is to find a person willing and able to face the country and say they have lived, and they are different, and those differences are what truly matter. Leonard just wants a president that seems to be part of our community, and we have gotten farther and farther away from that idea.
ReplyDeleteI think this poem is exactly what it appears to be, an expression for the desire of a president who will truly represent the entire demographic of this country and will have empathy and understanding for all of it’s citizens. I loved the last couple lines, “always a john never a hooker, always a boss and never a worker, always a liar, always a thief and never caught.” Clearly, the writer of this poem does not feel the president truly cares about the constituents. I think the relevancy of this poem is due to none other than our current president. Our president who clearly has no respect for women, or regard for their sexual safety. I think the general mindset of Trump and the majority of what he appears to represent makes this poem relevant again. The underrepresentation of minorities, women, people of lower class. I can see why people would find comfort in this poem once again.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It is hard to truly relate to someone and sympathize with them if you have never had to face the struggles that they face.
DeleteZoe Leonard’s poem, “I Want a Dyke for President” beautifully expresses the voice of oppressed people. For the past years, almost all presidents have been from upper class and have been white. They come from a world where they have privileges and advantages most people can’t relate to. They’ve had it easy navigating in a society that works in their favor. Personally, I would like to have a president I can relate to. Someone who has faced hardships and oppression. Someone who didn’t give up easily because of how society tried to break them down. I would like to see change.
ReplyDeleteI agree. This tradition had been going on for decades, to the point where it’s essentially a fantasy to want a “people’s person” to win a seat of power. There needs to be change.
DeleteI think Zoe Leonard’s 1992 Poem “I Want a Dyke for President” is speaking out about the hierarchical system, with privileged men at the top, that keeps stimulating the oppression of people who don’t come from the same privileged background. Oppression in this system continues to occur because their president does not relate or understand to the difficulties they face in life, and therefore can not make changes to better the lives of the disadvantaged. Dyke is an informal term for lesbian, and although this poem is titled “I Want a Dyke for President” I believe she intended to include other subject positions as well. The word dyke in this poem can be replaced with anything that is not male, white, heterosexual, rich, or any other subject position that is privileged. I believe everyone relates to this poem in different ways, but for the same reason which is they are unprivileged. I relate to this poem not necessarily because of the specific things she lists, but because I am not privileged in this country. I am a woman of Hispanic/Latino race who does not come from a wealthy family. My president does not understand what it is like to come from that background, and therefore is spreading hate as he runs this country, marginalizing women, and passing laws aimed at deporting people of my background. I think this poem has resurfaced during the 2016 election because of how hateful Donald Trump is and how his beliefs and actions marginalize people different from him.
ReplyDelete“I Want A Dyke for President” is a very relatable poem. It really capture what so many people in my community experience, Many of my friends families are supported by welfare. Many people from my family are laborers or hard workers, and there is this a rule in place that the president from the United States has to come from somewhere specific. The president has to be someone who has not struggled, has money, and is “respectable”. Someone who grew up in the slums and became a politician is somehow not a good person to represent our free country. “I Want A Dyke for President” addresses this unfair rule that has been in place since the beginning of presidency in the U.S. The poem overall wants to inspire change. It call attention to something the United States needs, a change of attitude.
ReplyDelete"I Want a Dyke for President" is an incredibly moving and relatable poem. It can be used to represent any presidential election in history, but it has never been more fitting for an election than the 2016 election. Having Donald Trump as president, someone who has grown up with wealth and privilege, create policies to undercut those in the US who struggle daily to work long, tiring hours and have to hide parts of themselves in order to seem fitting in an institution that seeks to oppress them is absolutely appalling and a disgrace to what America is "supposed" to stand for. I feel that in a country that thrives off of the hard work of those who are in the minority, those who do not fit the stereotypical white picket fence home, we should have a president who can represent the true hardships that everyone faces. Not one that can only imagine it, not one who can only "sympathize," not one who can only pat people on the back and say "sorry" but one who has lived and survived through times of hardship and has the scars to show it. We need a president who represents true, present day America, not some fake dream we pretend to be real because it fits the regressive, heteronormative American "standard."
ReplyDeletePersonally the poem I want a Dyke for President by Zoe Leonard means a lot to me because I feel like she includes a lot of different categories of people. Especially when she said, “I want a black woman for president…” I thought about a few things that she said and I completely agree because having someone in the presidency in which everyone can relate to at some point is something I am sure everyone would want. To know that someone in a high position has experienced something such as “gaybashed, deportation, sexual harassment etc.” would be more relatable to people than the same old heterosexual white man from the suburbs. I can relate to what she is saying because I have experienced times where I wished I seen more of myself in higher positions either in the government or as simple as head of a club. When I say myself, I mean someone in my social location, or someone who had to fight against discrimination or have experienced coming from a broken family etc. Someone who would be sensitive to topics such as having a baby at the age of sixteen would be ideal to have in such a leadership position.
ReplyDeleteTo me, what stands out about this poem is the feeling that I get that the author, Zoe Leonard, just wants a president who they can really relate to. Presidential candidates have been historically white for the most part, and they usually come from families who have been involved with politics for years. As such, most of these candidates experience a life that a lot of this country does not. That is, a life of privilege. Presidential candidates are not known to come from the streets or to be survivors of abuse and assault. Furthermore, a lot of the identities mentioned in the poem are ones that are not "ideal" in society. They are experiences and labels that are not desired when it comes to respectability politics, and thus identities and labels that folks would not see a political leader holding, as it affects credibility and appearance. For this reason, I can imagine that this poem put out so publicly caused a lot of talk amongst people.
ReplyDeleteThis is a feeling I relate to very much as an Asian American youth. I do not commonly see people who look like me in the media or in the entertainment industry, as well as in beauty and fashion advertisements, and that affected what I thought about myself as a child. I used to think that I would never possibly considered beautiful because my looks were not comparable to those of more European/white passing girls. I used to think that my features were undesirable and that I wasn't deserving of romantic affection and attention because I wouldn't attract anyone. In this sense, the point that I feel Leonard is really trying to make is very relatable to me and my life.
Overall, I am hit with the strong language of the poem. Leonard uses harsh language to fully explain the extent of her unhappiness with the current political system. She is sick of the hundreds of politicians with a hidden agenda, the politicians with a self-serving purpose underneath every action. She wants someone who truly represents her, who has suffered the same pains as her and who understands where change needs to happen.
ReplyDeleteThe resurgence of this poem during the 2016 election is wholly unsurprising, although disheartening. In 2016, we had two generally unloved candidates: Clinton, a rich woman with familial ties to government, who used her power and leverage in the DNC to secure a seat against the widely adored Sanders, and Trump, a philandering, filthy rich liar who refused to use his position for anything but his own gain. Neither of them have any idea what the struggles of the lower and middle class are, let along the struggles of the queer, non-white, and abused.
Obviously, I am personally very unhappy with the results of the 2016 election, and Leonard’s words stand out to me. I very much agree with her, I think it would be a marked improvement to our government if we could get an actual person in a seat of power, not a figurehead for the rich.