George Washington University 3-Day Workshop Features Statement of Wanting a President who is a Refugee, had an Abortion

Huh? This from Campus Reform:

The summit concluded at the White House Sunday night with an updated reading of “I want a president…,” a “collective reading project” devised in 1992 by artist and activist Zoe Leonard.

The original version of the statement described Leonard’s desire for a president who has experienced various setbacks, such as lacking health insurance or having an abortion, that would presumably induce them to support a larger role for government in addressing such issues.

“I want a dyke for president. I want a person with AIDS for president and I want a fag for vice president and I want someone with no health insurance and I want someone who grew up in a place where the earth is so saturated with toxic waste that they didn’t have a choice about getting leukemia,” the original version states. “I want a president that [sic] had an abortion at sixteen and I want a candidate who isn’t the lesser of two evils and I want a president who lost their last lover to aids [sic].”

The concept was adapted and updated for the social justice conference, with contemporary issues such as immigration and diversity/inclusivity sprinkled liberally throughout.

“I want a Native American for president. I want a Muslim refugee for president, and I want a queer for vice president, and I want someone who walked hundreds of miles across a desert and swam across a river to be here,” the updated version begins. “I want someone who has redefined their gender and sexual identity and spoken up for their rights and committed civil disobedience and sees the flag as a work in progress.”

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