logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2022
29m 8s

The drag queen who ran for president of ...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In the 1990s Terence Smith launched his campaign to run for United States president in drag, shocking voters and the media. His mission was not to win, but instead, to raise awareness about the Aids crisis which was killing his community. Critical of the government's slow response to the epidemic, Terence armed himself with a blonde wig, platform shoes, and the persona of Joan Jett Blakk and decided to run against future president Bill Clinton. Jo Fidgen speaks to Terence from his home in San Francisco, USA.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Gaia Caramazza

(Photo: Poster from Joan Jett Blakk's political campaign. Credit: Eric Stein Photography)

Up next
Apr 2022
The astronaut who made a quilt in Space
Dr Karen Nyberg has many talents. She's an engineer and astronaut, but she's also an avid quilter, so when she joined the International Space Station in 2013, she took her sewing kit with her. She created a nine-inch, star-themed quilt square in orbit which inspired over two thou ... Show More
23m 54s
Apr 2022
Drawing is my language: the artist who recreates cities from memory
Stephen Wiltshire was born in London in 1974, and diagnosed with autism when he was three. Mute until he was five, he was sent to a specialist school where his teachers soon noticed his prodigious talent for drawing. His passion was buildings - the more complicated, the better - ... Show More
24m 58s
Apr 2022
How my father’s stories shielded me from civil war
Wayétu Moore was just five years old in 1990, when Liberia's first civil war broke out. The family were forced to leave their home near Monrovia, and to flee on foot to the relative safety of a remote village. Throughout the journey, Wayétu's father Gus was determined to shield h ... Show More
38m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
The story behind a landmark prisoner swap
tail spinning
31m 32s
Feb 2023
The World View - A changing Belarus factor Russia’s key ally in the war in Ukraine
A Turkish crackdown on reporters 3 weeks after the earthquakes. El Salvador’s amazing prison the 1st gangsters have been sent.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
5m 30s
Mar 2025
Inside Europe 6 March 2025
War and peace: as Europe braces for an unprecedented rearmament drive, in Turkey, the PKK prepares to lay down its weapons. We’ll also be finding out why Serbian politicians got literal egg on their faces this week, as well as meeting a Spanish photo journalist determined to brin ... Show More
54m 59s
Jul 2023
ThePrintPod: All about convicted idol smuggler Subhash Kapoor & why he’s in jail even after serving 10-yr sentence
Lodged at Central Prison in Trichy, Kapoor completed his 10-year jail term while awaiting trial. He was arrested in 2012.   
8m 24s
Nov 2024
A CIA Man in China: 20 Years Imprisoned
<p>This is the story of America's longest held prisoner of war. John 'Jack' Downey, an American CIA operative, was imprisoned by the Chinese for 21 years during the Cold War.</p><br><p>Don speaks to Barry Wirth, author of 'Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War.' They explore w ... Show More
40m 26s
Aug 2024
Behind the Historic US-Russia Prisoner Exchange
24 prisoners have been released in the largest prisoner exchange between the US and Russia since the Cold War. Among those freed are two wrongfully detained American citizens, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and former US marine Paul Whelan, in exchange for Russian ... Show More
58m 21s