I Want to Be

I want to be a Muslim

Because that is feared the most

To be of a faith little understood

In faiths from coast to coast

Oh, I want to be a Muslim

Of this I wish to boast

I want to be a Mexican

Because they are trusted least

To be the sort who comes to stay

And shares in a great big feast

Oh, I want to be a Mexican

Whose value’s now decreased

I want to be African-American

Because we’ve nothing left to lose

To live in ghettos while bullets fly

White neighborhoods we defuse

Oh, I want to be African-American

And keep singing up the blues

I want to be the handicapped

Because we are mimicked and mocked

To be put down to bring you up

Our entrances forever blocked

Oh, I want to be the handicapped

My advancement to be knocked

I want to be a queer-American

Because of the ungodly things we do

To not be free to express our love

Or to be free like you

Oh, I want to be a queer-American

In our own separate rest room

I want to be a woman

Because we are a weaker sex

To be belittled and coddled

Your manhood to be vexed

Oh, I want to be a woman

For my pussy lacks respect

I want to be Hillary

So mistrusted and so feared

To be witch-hunted all my life

My gifts so little cheered

Oh, I want to be Madam secretary

My named so falsely smeared

I want to be all of these things

So often belittled and put down

To believe the fears that they put out

I now give to them a crown

Oh, I want to be the things they fear

To place their fears on the ground

Let’s rise up and speak of things

That are little understood

Take their fears and make them ghosts

Because we know we should

Let’s not let them bring us down

We’ll turn their hate and make some good

In the spirit of our country great

In the name of all humanhood