West Hollywood City Council last week unanimously approved Odious Ari as the City’s next Drag Laureate. Ari is a drag king — making them the first of that performance style to hold the title in West Hollywood, and the first drag king to serve in an official drag laureate role anywhere in the world. WEHOonline caught up with Ari after their appointment.
“It means a ton,” Ari said. “West Hollywood has been so supportive of my creative career and so many others. I have had so many opportunities that I would have never had anywhere else because WeHo prioritizes art and culture and helps artists develop.”
The night of the vote also served as a formal send-off for Pickle, WeHo’s Drag Laureate for the past three years. Mayor John Heilman noted that the City extended Pickle’s original two-year term to three years because they didn’t want to let her go. Councilmember John Erickson said people didn’t know what a drag laureate was when Pickle started — they do now. “She did an amazing job and set an extremely high bar — even for someone so tall,” Ari said. “I want to continue her work by trying my best to maintain relationships that she’s built. A drag king and a centenarian may attract different communities.”
The three-year term begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2029. The position carries a $15,000 annual honorarium and a $5,000 travel stipend. West Hollywood established the Drag Laureate program after Councilmember Lauren Meister and then-Councilmember John Duran proposed it in October 2020. Pickle was named the inaugural Drag Laureate in June 2023, installed that July at West Hollywood Park on International Drag Day. The original two-year appointment was later extended to three years.
Ari was chosen from six applicants. The selection panel included members of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission, the Transgender Advisory Board, the LGBTQ+ Commission, and Pickle herself. Panel notes from the staff report called Ari “fun, clever and original” and cited their potential to elevate the laureateship through original songwriting and a clear artistic point of view.
Ari performs as a 103-year-old Vaudevillian character named Odious, incorporating live music on accordion, ukulele banjo, and squeaky toys. The persona traces directly to British Music Hall and American Vaudeville, both of which featured performers then known as Male Impersonators — the historical antecedent to drag kings. Ari has worked with One Institute and Rainbopedia on LGBTQ history projects and appeared in the Stuart Timmons LGBTQ History Tour of West Hollywood.
“Since he’s been in the world for so long, he has seen a lot and can tell stories about drag history as part of his performance,” Ari said. “I like to write bits for him as if he had witnessed historical events and interacted with the characters.”
The appointment comes at a difficult moment for drag performance nationally. Ari has watched it play out locally. After performing a Drag Story Hour in West Hollywood, Ari saw Pickle take the same program to the San Fernando Public Library the following week, where protesters shut it down.
“Yeah, this is quite a time to be a Drag Laureate,” Ari said. “Who would have thought that we would be where we are right now a few years ago.”
Ari said Pickle’s response to that situation is something they intend to learn from. “I plan to keep in mind that there were many others before me and many more who are currently dealing with this, and to learn from them.”
Ari is already on the Drag Story Hour schedule at the West Hollywood Library on August 8. The program holds particular meaning. Ari is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Library Science and plans to add an interactive component to their sessions — musical participation, reading aloud, hands-on activities. At a previous Story Hour, Ari brought a puppet to help read. A child handed them their creation at the end: a purple-haired puppet with seven eyes.
“I can’t even imagine how my life would have been changed for the better had I had this kind of an experience as a child,” Ari said.
On what drag kings specifically bring to West Hollywood right now, Ari was direct.
“We’re missing half of the stories if we don’t listen to drag kings,” Ari said. “When you are in the world as a person who is sometimes ignored or erased even, you can have a sensitivity or story that you bring to your art that others who don’t have this experience may bring.”
Ari said they want the term to reach transmasculine and drag king communities both as audiences and participants.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude — and shock — at being offered this position,” Ari said. “I can’t thank West Hollywood enough for the opportunity and Pickle enough for being the best Drag Laureate trailblazer I could imagine.”
The Drag Laureate will attend approximately 15 City events per year, including WeHo Pride and West Hollywood Day. More information is at weho.org/arts.
I’ve watched
and thoroughly enjoyed Odious Ari’s performances,
and have been thoroughly entranced by their unabashed presence and talent.
This article was even more informative.
That honorific could not have gone to anyone more deserving.
West Hollywood’s newest Drag Laureate is already being described as “history-making,” but let’s keep a sense of proportion. Only two cities in America have ever created Drag Laureate positions: San Francisco and West Hollywood. Both cities are now on their second Drag Laureate. That’s not exactly the sort of milestone that rewrites the history books. I wish Odious Ari well, but the constant need to describe every symbolic gesture as “historic,” “groundbreaking,” or “history-making” has become tiresome. Sometimes a ceremonial appointment is simply a ceremonial appointment. The more interesting question is why City Hall feels compelled to create official laureates… Read more »
I agree with your points. Well wishes to Odious Ari, but I do not support my taxpayer money going to a drag laureate. Let’s use the money to clean the sidewalk on Santa Monica Blvd.
Fully agree on both points. The City apparently believes this “laureate” commendation to be on a par with a Nobel Prize. The City needs to agree on and demonstrate seriousness rather than silliness.
“The issue isn’t drag. The issue is government deciding which subcultures deserve official recognition, public promotion, and civic prestige while others do not.”
So you don’t realize West Hollywood started this EXACTLY when red states were targeting drag performers? Alan, do some research
Come out of your toxic closet of cheap and lazy anonymity and explain how that is on point.
please keep your insults to yourself. green-eyed guy made his point. Scroll on, rather than complain.