West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson on coming out as a proud gay man, the full beauty of the rainbow and WeHo Pride
BY PAULO MURILLO | PHOTO BY ZIV SADE
West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson grew up in the small town of Ripon, Wisconsin where he faced the challenges of understanding his sexuality amidst a backdrop of limited representation and societal expectations.
This interview delves into his personal narrative, celebrating his identity and the vibrant LGBTQ+ community he now calls home as we approach Pride Month in the City of West Hollywood.
How do you identify?
I identify as a very proud gay man. I identify with the historical struggle to come out as a member of what was then the lesbian and gay community or the gay community, and now the full beauty of the rainbow we have today… I’m comfortable in my own body that way, and I fought like hell to be this comfortable and this out with who I am.
When did you know you were gay?
I grew up in a really small town … population like 7,000 people, and I knew I was different at a young age. I want to say middle school. I probably knew I was gay as more versions of LGBTQ identity were coming out on TV. You’re always so fearful of what that is because you’re othered in so many communities. By the time I was in high school, I knew I was gay. And before I went to college, I came out privately to a few close friends. Then when I was a sophomore in college, I came out fully to my family.
How did your family react?
My mother probably took it harder than anyone, but that’s because she grew up at a time when LGBTQ people were further demonized than they are still today. My dad was very stoic and said, “Well, you’re just so good at sports. I don’t understand what’s going on.” He didn’t get it, but I came to be close to them in individual ways. My sisters were extremely supportive in bringing my parents around. Thank God they’re licensed therapists, so they were able to work through it with my mom and my dad. They had a toolbox, and now my parents are some of my biggest supporters. I can’t do what I do without them.
“ … To be fully who you are, even now in 2024 with all the threats we are facing, to sit there and say we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it… it’s still a political statement.”
What was your first Pride like?
My first Pride was in West Hollywood. I was an employee. I manned a city booth. We’d sit there and had a prime spot and hand out programs. I got to go experience it with my friends, and it was just so amazing. It was just so many colors and beauty. I think my first time actually in the parade was when Hollywood Now marched in 2018 or 2019. I was part of the chapter, and we marched, and I remember people doing cartwheels all down Santa Monica.
When did you first move to West Hollywood?
I moved here in 2012… I got my PhD and applied for a job at the City of West Hollywood because my professor at my graduate school said there was a paid internship program… Additionally I was really interested in politics and public policy.
Fast forward to you on a city float as part of the city council. What was that like?
It was weird. It was amazing. You get to see people. The best part is seeing all the kids and their families out there. It’s just utterly breathtaking. When you get to run, walk, or glide down Santa Monica Boulevard next to some of the biggest celebrities in the world, next to some of those iconic places and spaces, and be on a pride float, and be fully who you are even now in 2024 with all the threats we are facing, to sit there and say we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it… it’s still a political statement.
Do you feel the pressure is on your shoulders to have a successful WeHo Pride?
Always. Being a council member is a part-time gig. We do have jobs, whatever that means, but I didn’t sign up for this to be easy. I signed up for the hard parts. We have a whole month of pride, but pride is all year long, I mean, let’s be real. But it’s starting on Harvey Milk Day, on May 22, and will go till the end of June. And WeHo Pride is May 31, June 1, and June 2. And if you would have told me when we started it back when we were just going to have the Out Loud Music Festival that then we could finally have a free Friday night program and have people like Kesha performing, who was a headliner ages ago at LA Pride, and then we are going to have a parade that rivals everything else. And then now we’re having Janelle Monae and Kylie Minogue and Cyndi Lauper and Diplo. I would have said you’re crazy, but we had a dream, and I think five of us envisioned it, and we’ve set that forward for the future now.
