The City Council of the City of West Hollywood, at its regular meeting on Monday, June 26, 2023, unanimously approved Pickle as the City’s inaugural Drag Laureate. Pickle was selected through an application process with a selection committee comprised of members of the City’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. The public event for the Drag Laureate installation will take place on International Drag Day, Sunday, July 16, 2023 at 3 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard.
“West Hollywood has been one of the centers of drag culture for decades,” said Councilmember Lauren Meister. “Drag performers are often a thrilling attraction at many of our restaurants and bars and West Hollywood’s drag performers take center stage in a wide range of our City’s arts and culture events. This year, we’ve witnessed conservative attacks on drag performers by those who seek to ban culture and expression. Plain and simple, this is a proxy for homophobia and such ‘drag bans’ attack LGBTQ people. I’m thrilled that West Hollywood’s Drag Laureate program will raise awareness about drag culture and I’m overjoyed to welcome Pickle as our inaugural Drag Laureate.”
Pickle is a powerhouse host, performer, and community activist. She is a singing drag queen and comedienne who values education, community, and humor. She has been performing in drag professionally for eight years and has collaborated with many people and organizations to bring drag into people’s lives. A Los Angeles native, she received her BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College. Pickle has focused on blending education initiatives into her drag work and runs the LA chapter of Drag Story Hour. She has partnered with many organizations to present unique and dynamic drag programming. Pickle is dedicated to expanding drag as a medium both for herself and for the community. She has appeared on television on NBC’s The Weakest Link, the Discovery Channel’s Dodgeball Thunderdome, and Tyler Perry’s Sistas. She collaborates regularly with live musicians to incorporate big-band sound into her performances and is committed to exploring new technologies for the art of drag, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality. For more information about Pickle, visit www.pickledragqueen.com.
As West Hollywood Drag Laureate, Pickle will serve a term of two years from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025. During the term, the Drag Laureate is expected to enhance the presence and appreciation of drag culture and arts in West Hollywood; promote partnerships with West Hollywood business and community organizations; celebrate the spirit and special qualities of the City of West Hollywood and its residents; and inspire an emerging generation of drag artists by celebrating and promoting drag history.
The Drag Laureate will work with City staff to serve as an ambassador for West Hollywood. Pickle will attend approximately 15 events throughout the year, including WeHo Pride and West Hollywood Day. The City will also organize a yearly event to celebrate drag history, promote West Hollywood drag culture, and invite the West Hollywood community to attend.
Recently, the City of San Francisco announced its inaugural San Francisco Drag Laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger, and it is anticipated that West Hollywood and San Francisco will work together to share best practices and ideas to enhance Drag Laureate programs.
The West Hollywood Drag Laureate program provides a $12,500 honorarium each year, and a $2,500 stipend for the annual City drag event, totaling $15,000 per year.
The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division delivers a broad array of arts programs including: Art on the Outside (temporary public art), Urban Art Program (permanent public art), Summer Sounds, Winter Sounds, the WeHo Reads literary series, Free Theatre in the Parks, Arts Grants for Nonprofit Arts Organizations, Library Exhibits and Programming, the City Poet Laureate Program, Drag Story Hour, Human Rights Speakers Series and the WeHo Pride Arts Festival. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/arts.
For additional information about the City of West Hollywood’s Drag Laureate program, please visit www.weho.org/arts or contact Rebecca Ehemann, the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Manager, at (323) 848-6846 or at [email protected]. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Sign up for the City’s text message platform by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.
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Well, there you go. A Noble next I guess.
Now that Pickle has a burnished resume, isn’t it time to run for Adam Schiff’s congressional seat? After all why not a trifecta from West Hollywood joining Ben Savage and Sepi Shyneless, fine qualified candidates.
🙄😨😱
Lesbians should be furious. Where is the BUTCH Laureate!
Don’t forget the Daddy Laureate!
And Twinkies. This is just insane that we are wasting this kind of money. It is disgusting.
Let’s just address this person’s political platform, in all seriousness. In the ever growing landscape of legislation around gender ideology in the US, some states have taken steps to address this evocative art form, such as limiting nudity during performances accessible to minors. It’s just a fact that civil rights groups are increasingly dependent on donations tied to pressing partisan issues, and are misrepresenting the full slate of legislation by lumping all regulations together to create a false sense of urgency. Serious policy advocates ought approach each bill with rational consideration, questioning its impact on free speech, constitutionality, and protection… Read more »
Congrats to Pickle!
I resent my taxpayer money being spent In this way. It demeans women and this particular queen is unattractive at best.
As far as anyone knows, Pickles are best at home in a jar, on a shelf, in a pantry. They do not require $15,000. per year plus a full throated publicity campaign. This could encourage any and every resident who feels they have uniqueness to their profession and/or hobby to apply to the City for such rewards, otherwise it seems discrimination by another name.
Matter of time before West Hollywood is sued for discrimination. What an abuse of taxpayer’s money.
You may be correct. This is becoming evident that the city’s policies are biased, not in favor of the straight community. On several occasions Sepi Shyne has taken the opportunity to evidence personal animus and disdain for whites female residents, some of whom are private figures with professional public reputations. Sheer discrimination for which she would have no defense.
The one thing I agree with the City council. Drag queens are good for business and they entertain and deserve respect.
What about Furries and their rights?
Yes, there is outrage over the lack of a canine drag laureate!
She’ll “raise awareness about drag culture”? We can’t possibly be any more aware of drag culture.
Over saturated.
Indeed–we’re all supposed to pretend that they are some kind of marginalized community but anybody can see that they overwhelmingly dominate gay and much of the mainstream media.
Agreed. Drag is a hobby, not a civil rights issue.
What a clown show.