Attorney and rights activist Zekiah Wright has filed papers to run in the 2022 West Hollywood City Council election.
Wright, who uses they/them pronouns, joins a colorful field of incumbents, newcomers and former councilmembers vying for three seats on the council — the first being vacated by retiring Councilmember John D’Amico, the second being defended by Mayor Lauren Meister, and the third that Councilmember Lindsey Horvath would vacate if she wins her race to become the Third District Supervisor.
Wright declined to be interviewed for this article, but they posted the following statement on their LinkedIn page:
“I decided to run because I want to help usher in a brighter future in West Hollywood,” they said.” I believe in community-based leadership. I listened to complaints, needs, and suggestions from fellow community members, small business owners (and employees), and other stakeholders. I realized that I can offer fresh perspectives to current issues, including public safety, housing, and homelessness in Our City. I can contribute creative new ideas to the Council.
“I embody representational leadership. As a Black, nonbinary, queer person, I represent residents, visitors, and other stakeholders that have not had a voice on City Council. I am different from other candidates because my campaign is centered on listening to all community voices. I believe in building on the great work that has already been done in Our City and thinking outside the box to address the dire issues facing our City. It will take all of us working together, but I believe we can usher in a brighter future for West Hollywood.”
There are currently no Black members of WeHo’s City Council. Wright told WEHOville in an interview last September that increasing representation was a central reason they volunteered for LGAB.
“I think I was really interested in seeing more people of color represented in the city, regarding businesses, on the boards and commissions, and just our interests being considered more. I know me and my friends, we would always come to West Hollywood but we didn’t see a lot of us represented in ownership or even a lot of the patronage, depending on what bar you’re at. So I was like, ‘We’re here, we’re spending money, some folks live here, but I don’t think there’s a specific interest in keeping us here, OR meeting the needs that we have that are different from other other groups.’”
NOTE: The City of West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s office has not as of publication time qualified any candidates for the November 2022 municipal election. At this point in time, the City has received submissions of Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Forms 410 and 501. The City Clerk’s Office will begin scheduling appointments for nomination papers to be issued to interested candidates on July 5. The Nomination Period opens on July 18 and ends on August 12. The Nomination Period may be extended to August 17; please contact the City Clerk’s office to confirm when the Nomination Period ends. Details are provided on the City’s website at www.weho.org/elections.
Seeing how horrific these comments are, I see why folks would decline an interview with this paper of record
Oh look it’s “You need to address me by special words or I will judge and scorn you” Miss Thing.
Here are your special pronouns Zekiah “You are not unique or special so shut the f*** up!”
These tired queens.
Similar attitude adopted by the officious Marquita Thomas who typically strikes out at the public from her unqualified position on Planning Commission. Rather than obtaining knowledge about the projects she is passing judgment on, she simply passes judgement on the public. Last election round she claimed the residents of WHW were racist. Nothing to offer on PC, nothing to offer on City Council.
He / she / it / we / you / they are off to a great start as a public officeholder by declining an interview. What does that say about him / her / them / their ability to answer questions from the press? Methinks he / she / it / we / you / they spends more time staring into its closet wondering what sparkly top to wear out to the clubs.
Because Black, Non-Binary and Queer on a resume’ is enough to get you into a position in the City that determines very important matters for thousands of grown ups…..
Rather than someone telling us yet again that they are going to “think outside the box” I’d like them to think outside the platitude and tell us one thing they are going to do to achieve their goals. Just one, real, concrete action.
Enough with this false pluralistic identity thing. Possessed people are said to be inhabited by multiples. Not sane healthy ones. Time for things to swing back. We need a smart sane person in office who cares about funding the police and getting rid of crime. Not some unicorn who is undoubtedly obsessed with identity political bs. The only plural them this person should care about are the people.
Yes!!! 👏🏻
Time to revive the original Rolodex concept to keep track of all the identities lest we/us/ours misspeak. I realize that is an awkward use of tis silliness but the entire idea of multiple identities is awkward and superfluous. Does one identify as a human being? Yeah, that’s it!
After calling for the heads off of counsel members and their hand picked friends,
Sorry but, Is this guy a joke?
I am identities, hear me roar
Zekiah’s brave identities are seriously the big shake-up that city hall needs. Their bowtie will guide us all to a more diverse and equitable existence.
LOL
OMG IMAO..Best comment ever it’s a battle of the virtuous self identifying cesspoolers.
Yep. How about you just tell us what you’re gonna do and if we like we here will vote for you. I don’t care what color you are what sex you are how many people you have inside your head .. we need to clean up the mess that this current council has created in the last couple years. And I’m certainly not gonna vote for somebody to replace them with somebody that is all about identity politics and wants to have people that just visit this city represented as if they live here. No thanks.
If it chooses to be identified as “they/them” shouldn’t they use “we” instead of “I” when talking about themself?
How about you don’t refer to people as “it”.
Stay in Florida.
You don’t have the right to tell anybody where they need to live. This is still America and in America everybody has a right to an opinion. You don’t like his opinion fine but act like an adult.
Hi Michael G,
Why keep changing your username?
And calling a person “it” is not an opinion. This is dehumanizing and insulting. No WONDER Zekiah doesn’t want to give a comment to Wehoville considering all of the nasty comments on this website.
boys, boys….just stop.
You’re right. There’s no reason to be a dick about pronouns. It just means you’re a dick. They singular has been in use for hundreds of years. The fact that we have gendered 3rd person pronouns is problematic. We haven’t even heard their ideas and people are writing them off. Not sure I’ll support them but bullying is for the weak minded.
While I am a progressive democrat and a person of color it is hard for me consider this person who is a complete unknown and has done nothing for West Hollywood. And I certainly do not want the drunken tourists and drug addicts who do not live here having a voice on our policies. Im looking forward to voting for change and new but for somebody who has experience and also is willing to tell their story.
I really don’t care about their story. I don’t give a rats ass about his sex, his race, I want somebody that can think and can solve problems and if all I hear out of your mouth from the get-go is about how are you represent this group or that group no -thank you. I want somebody who represents all of us and our common shared goals.
“ I want somebody who represents all of us and our common shared goals.”
What are the common shared goals of 38,000 residents? Care to enlighten us?
Safety, affordable goods and services. Let’s start there. I’d like to know what the person means by “specific needs that specific groups need that are different from others.”
What specific needs does his group have that are different from other groups? Specific examples please. I think regardless of a person’s skin color we all want to feel safe, have a sense of neighborhood, have reasonable prices for goods and services etc. etc. And people that visit here should not have a voice or representation on our city council. The people that should have a voice are the residents that actually live here.
“I embody representational leadership. As a Black, nonbinary, queer person, I represent residents, visitors, and other stakeholders that have not had a voice on City Council. I am different from other candidates because my campaign is centered on listening to all community voices.
and they decline to comment. ‘they’ are out for ‘themself’. Let the visitors vote?