In His Installation as Mayor, John Duran Calls Out WeHo’s Creative, Nonconforming and Sexual History

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City Councilmember John Duran was installed as West Hollywood’s mayor tonight at an event whose location emphasized his focus as mayor on revitalizing the Sunset Strip.

The City Council meeting at which the installation took place was at 1OAK, the nightclub on Sunset Boulevard, rather than the City Council Chambers, the traditional location of such installations.

Duran was sworn into office as mayor by Eddie Money, the legendary rock star, known for songs like “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise” and the album Can’t Hold Back. Councilmember John D’Amico was sworn in as mayor pro tem.  Duran assumes a position held for the past 12 months by John Heilman.  The brief City Council meeting after the installation was followed by a reception at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, the iconic club on Sunset.

West Hollywood has a council/manager form of government in which the elected City Council sets policy that is executed by the City Manager, who reports to the Council and manages the city’s staff. The position of mayor thus is honorary and rotates each year to the mayor pro tempore, who acts as the substitute for the mayor when he is not available for an official city meeting. However, the person serving as mayor is viewed as the leading spokesperson for the city.

The West Hollywood City Council meeting at 1Oak on Sunset Boulevard

Duran, who has been on the City Council for 18 years, has served three previous terms as mayor.

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After being sworn in, Duran made a speech recalling the history of the Sunset Strip from before the city was incorporated in 1984. He emphasized the Strip’s history as a destination for celebrities from old Hollywood, moves by stars like Marilyn Monroe to open clubs to black performers like Lena Horne and also its embrace of sexual freedom, citing examples such as the birth of performances by go-go girls on Sunset.

Duran also cited the Sunset Strip as an example of what’s distinctive about the culture of West Hollywood.

“The soul of the Sunset Strip has never been defeated by those cranky miserable cantankerous voices who want Sunset to look like Victory Boulevard or Sixth Street or maybe Maple Street, Anytown, USA,” he said.

“Sunset, like the people of West Hollywood, remains creative, colorful, outlandish, garish, outrageous, extreme, nonconforming, sexual, giddy, joyous feeling, with laughter and romance and sex and lights and noise and traffic and most of all music, every night of the year.

“Shakespeare said ‘If music be the food of life, well then, play on’. And that’s what I’m hoping we see on the Sunset Strip and on Santa Monica Boulevard and on Robertson.

“Like Austin, like Nashville, like New Orleans, music and laughter and fun should always be the story of the City of West Hollywood, and long may the soul of West Hollywood remain defiant, resistant, liberating, angry, satirical and unconstrained by those who would intend to impose their moral judgement on the city.”

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Ham Shipey
Ham Shipey
6 years ago

West Hollywood……is not a very different place now. it doesn’t have one identity ….and many of us live here for the central location and not for the reasons this mayor stated.

Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd are changing…..and many will be glad to see the clubs close.

Michael G.
6 years ago

I’d much rather be looking at Ian Ownes, bright, sexy and attractive, then seeing Mayor John Grindr Duran grandstand with his step-n-fetch-it political hacks.

As for the Sunset Strip, its a collection of 98% sh-t architecture according to Eli Broad along with a creepy collection of billboards to cover up any glamour that is hanging on to the street.

As for the installation of Duran, I thought it was very appropriate since it was four days away from where WEHO’s gangster legend Mickey Cohen was shot.

Rudolf Martin
Rudolf Martin
6 years ago

Just wondering who paid for this farce?

Randy
Randy
6 years ago
Reply to  Rudolf Martin

I’m just curious. Did you have the same complaint when D’Amico had a ceremony at Plummer Park a few years ago for his Installation?

Jim Nasium
Jim Nasium
6 years ago
Reply to  Randy

Plummer Park is a public park where many city events are held. No comparison.

WeHoMikey
WeHoMikey
6 years ago

All that was missing was Ian Owens in a thong.

Sad
Sad
6 years ago

A totally befitting undignified mockery and joke.

Eric Jon Schmidt
Eric Jon Schmidt
6 years ago

I could not agree more with John Duran in the last three paragraphs of this article and I wish him good vibes to help keep that mind-set alive in West Hollywood. He seems to want to keep West Hollywood from Changing. If he keeps this going for the next year, he has my Vote in 2020.

James
James
6 years ago

And your Grindr vote too.

Eric Jon Schmidt
Eric Jon Schmidt
6 years ago
Reply to  James

Not on grinder. Just want to save the the unique history of West Hollywood which includes interesting characters. This is not the Bible Belt.

Cy Husain
6 years ago

Don’t worry, smear campaigns show the desperate fear of your political effectiveness weighing heavily on your opponents! 🙂