🎥 West Hollywood celebrates John M. Erickson as new mayor

On his first night as West Hollywood’s new mayor, John M. Erickson, in head-to-toe pink, tearfully recalled the story of his childhood in small-town Wisconsin  surrounded by a packed house of friends, family and supporters.

“I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to say tonight for quite some time, and I keep coming back to the angst and the dreams of a little boy who rode his bike everywhere in Ripon, Wisconsin,” Erickson said. “Always dreaming of someplace else and always scared that people in Ripon would realize he was different.”

That “someplace” else was West Hollywood, where Erickson found kinship in the LGBTQIA+ community and was hired as a City Hall intern. He quickly climbed the ranks, becoming a deputy and protege of former Mayor Abbe Land, and in 2020 he was elected to City Council. 

“When I think about my hopes for my time as Mayor, I’m reminded of the parable of the ‘Pearl of Great Price,’ where a merchant searching for heaven finds one pearl of great price and sells all that he has to buy it. West Hollywood, for me, has always been that pearl, a diamond in the rough that we all search for, to be in a city where so many LGBTQ people feel as close to heaven as we can imagine because we’re protected by rent-controlled laws, enjoy beautiful parks and well-manicured streets and trees, and know, at least within the confines of the city, we’re all accepted and loved. My hope and my dream for this pearl is that we stay true to the dream of cityhood, so in the future, all kids riding their bikes to their grandmas’ houses will keep pedaling, knowing there is a place for them where they can be free and have a bright future.”

Erickson was sworn in by his niece, Emma, who along with other family members braved subarctic temperatures and flight cancellations to join him from their home in the Midwest. 

@wehoonline♬ original sound – WEHOonline

“If you had told us growing up that one day he’d be a mayor of a city, we would have questioned your sanity,” his sisters Allison and Melinda quipped during Public Comment. “The strong spirit that we saw in John growing up has blossomed into the strong leader and advocate that you all have come to know. He has never been afraid to share his opinions, and although not everyone may always agree with him, his heart is always in the right place. Sometimes he may just need some gentle reminders that there are other opinions besides his own.” 

The council presented outgoing Mayor Sepi Shyne with a proclamation for her work, and she displayed unusual vulnerability in her heartfelt remarks. 

“This is such a beautiful position to hold in public service, and it is also extremely stressful,” Shyne said. “Having the community come out to support is so important because there’s often a lot of loneliness in these positions that is not really talked about enough.  I look forward to watching your leadership, and I have the full trust that I’ve ever had in both of you to carry forward the vision that we’ve all had for the future of the city.”

A who’s who of dignitaries came to pay tribute to Erickson and freshly inaugurated Vice Mayor Chelsea Byers, including District Attorney George Gascon, County Assessor Jeffrey Prang, representatives from State Sen. Ben Allen and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur’s offices — and County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who regaled the crowd with a song in a moment that harkened back to her days as a musical theater ingenue. 

@wehoonline♬ original sound – WEHOonline

Byers was sworn in by former City of Santa Monica Councilmember Gleam Davis, whose work on “mobility, housing, and addressing the economic divide in our communities has deeply inspired my thinking,” she said. 

“I’m very excited to continue building bridges, meeting and growing relationships throughout our community, and developing more partnerships valuable to our city,” Byers said. “Our world is continuing to shift around us, in this year against the backdrop of a polarized national election, ongoing global war sewing division in our local communities, impending UFO disclosure, and escalating climate change. It is trans and immigrant communities who have been and continue to be on the front lines, and West Hollywood’s role as a sanctuary and refuge is of the utmost importance.”

That point was contested by public commenter and oft-agitator Annie Jump Vicente, who shattered the genial mood of the proceedings with a furious tirade at the podium and various booing throughout the night.

“This ain’t no fucking refugee for trans people!” Vicente shouted at Erickson and Shyne. “I’ve been trying to fight with all of you for the last fucking year about it. And you made it a hollow bill so that you can run for Congress and you could fucking become mayor. ”

Other public commenters with issues to address, including Sierra Bonita neighborhood leader Stefanie LaHart and scooter fighter Mikie Freedman, were far kinder. 

“You know, a lot of times we get up here and we’re screaming, ‘What are you guys doing?’ But I know it’s a hard job,” said LaHart, noting that Erickson was the first to reach out after a devastating fire destroyed a house next door. “He asked, ‘What can I do? Can I come over and see you immediately?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, me? I’m nobody.’ But John, from your immediate response, you really made me feel like I mattered. Not just that I mattered, but that our problem mattered and that you were listening. And I mean that from my heart.”

“Last year in West Hollywood, I spoke up publicly for the first time at Sepi’s coronation … I mean, installation,” joked Freeman, who brought up a range of problems looming with the city’s micromobility program.

“Some of us are doubting your and Chelsea’s ability to lead our city effectively,” Freedman told Erickson. “I hope you prove us wrong. I really do. I’ll happily give you a hand, but you have to give it back.”