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West Hollywood in brief- City government in action this week

Nominations For its 2023 Rainbow Key Awards, Bike Giveaway Pilot Program, ‘Top 10’ Alertness and Crime Prevention Tips plus more

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Photo Credit: City of West Hollywood/Jon Viscott

City of West Hollywood Receives Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting

WEST HOLLYWOOD, December 7, 2022 – The City of West Hollywood has been awarded with a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021. This is the 28th consecutive year that the City has been recognized with this achievement.

“Once again, the City of West Hollywood has received high marks for its financial reporting – as we have consistently done for nearly three decades,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “None of our innovative policies and programs can move forward without the City’s solid financial management fundamentals, which includes a focus on fiscal responsibility, sound policies, and excellent reporting.”

The City’s Annual Financial Report is a set of detailed financial statements, which are accompanied by a thorough presentation of the City’s financial condition. The government must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized annual financial report, which must satisfy both generally accepted accounting principles and applicable legal requirements.

The report was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The City of West Hollywood’s budgets, updates, and other financial reports are provided on the City’s website by visiting www.weho.org/budget and clicking on the Financial Reports & Budgets tab in the left sidebar. The City of West Hollywood’s Open Data portal includes a page dedicated to the City Budget at http://budget.weho.org. The portal provides easily accessible information about budgeted City revenues and expenditures in a user-friendly format.

For additional information about the Government Finance Officers Association and its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program (COA), please visit www.gfoa.org/coa-award.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Annual Financial Report, please contact Lorena Quijano, City of West Hollywood Director of Finance & Technology Services, at (323) 848-6513 or at [email protected].

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

West Hollywood Tallies Final General Municipal Election Results

The City of West Hollywood’s General Municipal Election was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Election results were regularly updated and posted by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk as Vote-by-Mail, Conditional, and Provisional ballots were processed and verified through Monday, December 5, 2022.

The final Canvass Update on Monday, December 5, 2022 indicates that the top vote-getters are Lauren Meister (6,070 votes), Chelsea Byers (3,960 votes), and John Heilman (3,917 votes); each has secured one of three seats on the City Council of the City of West Hollywood. There are 26,099 registered voters in the City of West Hollywood. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder has certified the results of November’s election.

The three newly elected Councilmembers will be sworn-in at the regular meeting of the City Council of the City of West Hollywood on Monday, December 19, 2022 at 6 p.m. The City Council annually elects the City’s Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore in a rotation of Councilmembers and the City Council will elect Councilmembers to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore at its regular meeting on Monday, December 19, 2022. There will be a City Council Reorganization and Installation meeting on Monday, January 9, 2023. West Hollywood City Council meeting agendas are posted in advance on the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/councilagendas.

Detailed election information is available on the City of West Hollywood’s website at www.weho.org/elections and on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website at www.lavote.gov.

For additional information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s Office at (323) 848-6409.

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

San Vicente Streetscape Community Plaza Conceptual Render Courtesy City of West Hollywood

Share Feedback about Initial Concept Designs for San Vicente Streetscape Improvements Project

The City invites community members to provide feedback about initial concept designs for the San Vicente Streetscape shared street and plaza improvements project. There will be a virtual meeting via the Zoom platform on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 6 p.m. and people interested in participating can join at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89126456842.

The San Vicente Streetscape shared street and plaza improvements project will host additional opportunities for the community to provide feedback at various stages as part of a comprehensive outreach plan. City staff and consultants will present concept designs that include and reflect feedback received from community outreach presentations and visioning activities that took place in October 2022.

North San Vicente Boulevard between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue is oftentimes the location for City-sponsored programming and other City-permitted events. This results in approximately 20 to 30 days of partial or full street closures each year.  Because this area was not originally designed for these purposes, tangible challenges arise within this stretch of N. San Vicente Boulevard related to impromptu public gatherings or planned event purposes.

At times, N. San Vicente Boulevard experiences drivers that exceed posted speed limits. Beyond traffic safety issues, serious public health concerns – particularly during the summer – can potentially arise when individuals may spend significant time in direct sun and are subjected to effects from what is known as a “heat island” while standing on hardscape concrete and asphalt surfaces. Heat islands are generally urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Structures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes that include trees or water elements and water bodies.

The City of West Hollywood is working with landscape architecture firm !melk to develop a conceptual vision for a new “shared street” that would allow for temporary, partial, or full closures on N. San Vicente Boulevard, account for transit, accessibility, and traffic safety needs, and would be designed as a micro-climate inspired ecosystem. This reimagined area would emphasize larger-scale outdoor gathering space, shading and green space, wildlife propagation, water resource management, and pedestrian-oriented design strategies in support of city-sponsored or otherwise approved programs and events, permitted activities, and organized or impromptu gatherings. 

The intent is to have a space that can provide new flexibility and transform seasonally and situationally. If carefully crafted as a “streetscape plaza,” this bookended and protected area could operate as either a programmatic extension of West Hollywood Park, as a useful companion to the forthcoming STORIES: The AIDS Monument, or as an independent civic or public event space itself. Centrally located within the City’s westside, the San Vicente Streetscape Plaza would be well buffered from a sound standpoint from residentially zoned areas nearby yet still be very walkable and in close enough proximity from the diversely scaled neighborhoods that surround it.

For additional information, please visit the project website or contact Garen Yolles, City of West Hollywood Architectural and Urban Designer in the City’s Urban Design and Architecture Studio, at (323) 848-6827 or at [email protected].

For people who require hearing assistance or other forms of accommodation please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Winter Wonderland at West Hollywood Park

The City will host its inaugural Winter Wonderland event on Saturday, December 17, 2022 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. 

The highlight of this event is the transformation of West Hollywood Park into a picturesque Winter Wonderland with 10 tons of snow on the South Lawn! Two snow zones will be in place, one for ages 5-and-under, and another for ages 6-to-16. Don your gay apparel, sweaters, gloves, and boots, hop on your sleigh and point it toward West Hollywood Park for a sweet and festive adventure full of fun and cheer! Yule be sorry if you miss it!

Additional event festivities include game booths, crafts, holiday décor, hot cocoa and snacks, performances by community groups, a DJ spinning holiday classics, plenty of opportunities to take elfies and remember, no resting Grinch face.

In case of rain, the event will move to the gymnasium inside the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center, located at 8750 El Tovar Place, directly adjacent to the West Hollywood Park grounds.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Winter Wonderland event, please contact the City’s Recreation Services Division at (323) 848-6534 or at [email protected].

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

City Reminds Visitors, Residents, and Businesses to Stay Safe during the Holiday Season with ‘Top 10’ Alertness and Crime Prevention Tips

With the holiday shopping season having kicked off on Black Friday, public safety becomes especially important. This is a time of year when people are rushed and distracted and there are always those who are looking to take advantage of others by committing crimes of opportunity.

The City of West Hollywood will host a news conference on Tuesday, December 6 at 10 a.m. outside of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s West Hollywood Station (780 N. San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood) to remind visitors and community members to be alert and mindful as they go about their holiday activities to prevent crimes of opportunity. 

West Hollywood is a great place to bring family and friends who are visiting and to do holiday shopping and celebrating. The holidays are also a time, however when opportunists may look for easy targets. West Hollywood is as susceptible to crimes as cities throughout the region. Taking basic preventive steps to follow common-sense tips can help enhance safety and reduce crime.

“We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister. “That means we need to be aware of our surroundings. Busy shoppers can get distracted and become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crimes. Let’s keep the season joyful by taking the necessary steps to help prevent these crimes of opportunity before they take place. Whether we live here, work here, or are visiting, we can never be too careful or too prepared.”

The City has assembled Holiday Safety Alertness and Crime Prevention tips in cooperation with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, as well as other local safety organizations, such as the City’s Block by Block Security Ambassadors program. The following are 10 tips can help prevent crimes of opportunity:

  1. Lock your car and hide your valuables in the trunk – keep recent purchases out of sight.
  2. Stay alert to your surroundings – park in a safe, well-lit place, don’t overburden yourself with packages and be cognizant of who’s around you.
  3. Watch your packages – get a camera if they’re delivered to your home, or consider getting a locker/P.O. box for deliveries instead.
  4. Light up your house – add motion-sensor lights as an added security measure.
  5. Hang onto your purse or backpack – don’t leave it on the back of a chair while dining or in a shopping cart.
  6. Keep your wallet and cell phone in your front pocket to avoid being pickpocketed.
  7. Watch your drinks when out at a bar and be mindful of leaving with people you don’t know. Don’t over-imbibe, whether it’s alcohol or legal cannabis, as consuming even small amounts may leave you vulnerable.
  8. Secure your luggage – if you’re visiting from out of town, don’t leave luggage unattended or where it can be seen.
  9. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash – pay with a check or credit card whenever possible.
  10. Don’t walk around with your head in your phone – look up and know what’s going on around you.

The City is sharing important holiday safety tips in digital transit shelter ads in West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station will conduct Holiday Community Safety Patrol operations to prevent crime. The City’s Block by Block Security Ambassadors have been expanded over the past several months and Block by Block is performing foot patrols 24/7.

As always, the City and its public safety partners urge community members not to drink (or use) and drive. Even one drink can impair judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk — or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver who hasn’t had any alcohol. The City regularly conducts drink safety training, as well, for alcohol-serving bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department regularly conducts DUI checkpoints in the City.

For anyone with public safety concerns, please reach out to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station 24/7 at (310) 855-8850.  The City has launched a new and easy-to-remember toll-free phone number for its Block by Block Security Ambassadors Program, as well: (833) WEHO-BBB or (833) 934-6222. The hotline manages incoming non-emergency and non-violent calls for service 24/7. For concerns about the safety and well-being of community members experiencing homelessness, please call the City’s Homeless Concern Line at (323) 848-6590. In an emergency, always call 911.

For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/publicsafety.

For more information, please contact City of West Hollywood Director of Community Safety Danny Rivas at (323) 848-6424 or [email protected].

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

Upgrade To Parking Systems Software and Technology

The City of West Hollywood’s Parking Services Division is working on improvements for residents, businesses, and community members who use the City’s parking website area at www.weho.org/parking for permits and citations.

In December 2022, the City will upgrade technology and install new software systems to make parking services easier to use and navigate. The City’s goal is to save time and improve the experience for community members.

From Thursday, December 8, 2022 to Monday, December 12, 2022 the permit and citation portions of the parking area of the City’s website will be inaccessible. The City understands that this is an inconvenience and it is grateful for patience as it completes efforts to make changes.

The City’s new parking software system is anticipated to launch on Monday, December 12, 2022 at the same website area: www.weho.org/parking

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s Parking Systems Software and Technology Upgrade, please call (323) 848-6578.

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

City of West Hollywood Opens Nominations For its 2023 Rainbow Key Awards

The City of West Hollywood is gathering nominations for its 2023 Rainbow Key Awards. The City’s Rainbow Key Awards recognize people who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.

Nominations may be submitted electronically through the City’s website at www.weho.org/rainbowkey. Nomination forms are due by Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The awards presentations are scheduled to take place in the Summer of 2023.

Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood has presented Rainbow Key Awards to individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond in their service to the LGBTQ community. Contributions have come in many forms, including the arts, community service, humanitarian action, sports, medicine, armed services, leadership potential, benefit to the global LGBTQ community, and more. Past honorees have included activists, artists, civic leaders, educators, community organizations, and many others.

Nominations will be reviewed by the City of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and recommendations for honorees will be referred to the West Hollywood City Council for final approval.

For more information, please contact Moya Márquez, City of West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6574 or at [email protected].

For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

West Hollywood Announces Bike Giveaway Pilot Program

The City of West Hollywood is launching its Bike Giveaway Pilot Program. The program will be giving away 50 bicycles in collaboration with Schwinn to encourage more bicycling and less driving among West Hollywood residents to further the City’s climate action goals.

The City has opened an application portal with program details at www.weho.org/bikegiveaway. West Hollywood residents who are 18 years or older are eligible to apply for a free bike as part of the Pilot Program. The City will collect applications during the next few weeks and is anticipated to select 50 individual recipients in February 2023 through a random lottery.

Residents selected to receive a free bicycle will agree to commit to riding a minimum number of 20 miles per month and will complete monthly reports with odometer readings. In addition, participants will need to complete a survey before receiving a Bike Giveaway Pilot Program bicycle. Full participation in the program is required for residents to keep bicycles for the long-term. 

By getting people out of cars and onto bikes, the Pilot Program aims at supporting multi-modal transportation to reduce citywide vehicle miles traveled while supporting the City’s Core Value of Responsibility for the Environment. In West Hollywood, passenger vehicles and trucks contribute to roughly 1-million average vehicles miles traveled, resulting in more than 62,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Choosing a bicycle over a car just once-a-day can lead to an up-to-67% reduction in transportation emissions. As a result, by providing people with bicycles and the option to bike instead of drive, the Bike Giveaway Pilot Program is a great tool to reduce emissions from vehicle miles traveled. 

There are many ways to explore West Hollywood without a car. By foot, by bike, or by transit, navigating West Hollywood car-free has never been easier. Going car-free creates new opportunities to run into friends and meet new ones, enjoy fresh air on a beautiful day, see places you never noticed before, and get some exercise along the way.

The City of West Hollywood is committed to supporting multi-modal transportation options and promoting West Hollywood as a walkable and bikeable place. In 2017, the City of West Hollywood adopted its Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan, which provides a roadmap to improving the City’s pedestrian and bicycle environment. The PBMP identifies several categories of projects including improvements at unsignalized crosswalks, signalized intersections, and bicycle improvements.

For additional information, please contact Monica Gonzalez in the City of West Hollywood’s Long Range Planning Division at (323) 848-6542 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.

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a&e features

Frankie Grande is loud and proud this Weho Pride

Frankie Grande will be hitting the stage at this year’s Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride and is ready to bring the party

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Among other queer and ally big names like Lizzo, Alyssa Edwards, and Kim Petras, Frankie Grande will be taking center stage on Saturday, May 31, at this year’s OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride. In the wake of the queer community’s current political strife, Grande is taking the spotlight, unapologetically and ready to bring the party, celebrating activism and sexuality unabashedly.

Hot off the heels of his recent two hit singles, “Rhythm of Love” and “Boys,” Grande is gearing up for the release of his new album, Hotel Rock Bottom, hitting platforms on June 27. The album is bringing queer aesthetic to the pop genre and is a retelling of Grande’s life as he has gone from party boy to stage, screen, and reality TV personality, to getting married and living a sober family life (dog and all).

We sat for a chat with Grande as he prepares for his Weho Pride extravaganza. With everything socially and politically considered, Grande is not holding anything back this Pride season.

Pride is recharging and gearing up for battle. I feel like we’re in a place where our community is under attack, and this is the time where we get the microphone so recharge and get ready to be loud and be prouder than we ever have before. We need to show the world that we are not to be fucked with. We got the mic, so let’s use it.

No stranger to taking the stage, Grande promises a spectacle for his Outloud appearance.

I’m so excited. I’ve put so much effort into crafting a very beautiful show, a very gay show, a very hot show. I’ve selected some really fun songs from my album that people are going to get to hear for the first time because the album won’t be out. I’m also doing some fun and clever covers of songs that have inspired me. I’m excited that I’ve mixed it up and it’s going to be really fun and really gay.

This Pride, Frankie’s call to the gay community is clear.

Support our trans siblings. It is more important than ever. Go to your trans friends and be like, “Hey, what do you need? And how can I help?” Because they’re the ones who are directly being scapegoated at this moment. To think that it’s happening to them means it’s not happening to you is crazy. We are all part of the same community. We’re all under the rainbow umbrella, so let’s go support the community that is directly under attack right now.

Grande’s album comes at a time when queer folk could use a little levity and party attitude. He has been a long-time spokesperson for the LGBTQ community. He has used his platform from reality TV to his role as GLAAD board member to incite activism. He knows full well the fatigue that many of the queer community face as we continue to resist a brutal Presidential administration.

You have to find moments of joy. Honestly, that’s a lot of what this album is to me. It’s like, let’s dance around and bop and be silly to boys tonight so that we can hit the ground running tomorrow and go get some legislation overturned. My whole life, I’ve turned to the dance floor during times of stress, and I think we do need to do that. We have to go celebrate. We have to remember why it is so fun to be a huge homosexual and what we’re fighting for. But then we need to go fight. Don’t get so fucked up that you have to be in bed for three days because we actually do need to go to work.

Grande has also become the poster boy for sober party gays. Celebrating 8 years of sobriety, he has been very open about his journey and how it fits into gay culture. Being openly sober has gained momentum in the queer community and many Prides now include dry events. Grande knows the triggers that Pride can include and has some advice to his fellow sober folk.

First of all, sober gays are fun gays, let’s just say that. If you’re triggered, get the fuck out. You know? There are a lot of drugs, there’s a lot of drinking, there’s a lot of partying, and sometimes you’re just not fully ready to be in those environments. And if that is true, then just leave. The people who are drinking and using will have no idea that you left.

Also go find some sober friends to go with. I did everything in sobriety, like linked with my sober BFFs, Salina EsTitties and stylist Mandoh Melendez. They were my bodyguards and they were my shield, and they had more sobriety than I did. They showed me the ropes, and to this day, they’re still sober and my best friends. So, get a sober buddy and GTFO when you’re triggered, just leave.

Grande is being very vulnerable in his upcoming album Hotel Rock Bottom. Not only is he leaving himself to be compared to other family members in the business, but he is also telling his story on his own terms with music. What is his intent with his album?

 My mission with this album is to inspire others to be themselves by being so open and honest. If you just want to listen to the surface value of my album, then you’re going to have a great fun dance time being like, this is so much fun. But if you want to actually go and listen to the lyrics and dissect it, you’ll see that there’s a lot of darkness and a lot of light on both sides of this album. I organized this album into side A and side B, or top and bottom, as we’re calling it on the vinyl. There’s sobriety and using days, there’s good and bad, and highs and lows on both. So, no judgment, it’s all about just be yourself, live your life, live authentically, and you’re going to get through whatever you’re dealing with.

And his message to the queer LA community this Weho Pride?

We’re very privileged and we’re very blessed because we’re in a very liberal and very blue state, so we need to have the best time and show up. But let’s make sure that we’re constantly beaming our love, light, and energy, and thinking about how we can help people in red states who are not going to have a governmentally and a community-supported Pride, because that is a reality these days. Let’s try to figure out how we’re going to help the country while we’re in the most liberal, most protected state in the world, which is fabulous.

Catch Grande onstage at Outloud on Saturday, May 31st. Hotel Rock Bottom will be released June 27th, available wherever you stream your music.

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Commentary

From pride to policy, it’s time to build in WeHo

‘West Hollywood isn’t just coasting on its values—we’re acting on them’

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By John M. Erickson, West Hollywood City Councilmember

West Hollywood has always stood as a beacon for LGBTQ people, for the
marginalized—for anyone chasing a place to be safe, seen, and supported. But that
promise is slipping away. If people can’t afford to live here, then West Hollywood becomes a symbol, not a sanctuary.

The housing crisis gripping Southern California is particularly acute in LGBTQ communities. Whether it’s trans women of color pushed into homelessness, queer youth aging out of foster care, or seniors on fixed incomes being priced out of the very neighborhoods they helped shape—our inability to build enough housing is deepening the inequality we claim to fight against. Our failure to build enough housing is not just a policy gap—it’s a moral one.

This isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

As a gay man and a progressive policymaker, I know what it means to live at the intersection of identity and action. I carry the legacy of those who fought for a seat at the table—and the duty to do more than just sit there. Right now, that means confronting a housing system that’s failing the very people we claim to protect.

When West Hollywood became a city in 1984, we inherited density. We had walkable
neighborhoods, apartment buildings, and a diverse housing stock. But we froze. For 40
years, our zoning has barely moved.

In the last 25 years, WeHo has actually decreased in population. Meanwhile the number
of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ has more than tripled in that same amount of
time. We haven’t kept up with demand, and we haven’t met the needs of the vulnerable
communities we claim to champion.

That’s about to change.

On Monday, May 5th, I’m introducing a sweeping housing reform package aimed at one
thing: making it easier, faster, and cheaper to build homes in West Hollywood. Not just
luxury condos—homes people can actually live in. That means slashing red tape. Cutting delays. Dismantling outdated rules that stall projects and drive up rents.

This isn’t about bulldozing neighborhoods or silencing community voices. It’s about
fixing a broken system—one built for a different era and completely out of step with the
urgency of now. It’s time to stop confusing progressive branding with progressive
outcomes. We need real reform: faster processes, smarter regulations, and yes—political courage.

Will this fix everything overnight? No. But it will send a clear message: West Hollywood
isn’t just coasting on its values—we’re acting on them.

Housing justice is LGBTQ+ justice. It’s racial justice, economic justice, and generational
justice. We don’t get to call ourselves a queer haven if only the rich and lucky can live
here. The West Hollywood of the future must make room for drag artists, Trader Joe’s
cashiers, trans youth, longtime renters—and anyone else trying to build a life with
dignity.

A city that flies the Pride flag can’t stand by while its most vulnerable residents are
priced out and pushed out. We owe the next generation more than just slogans and
rainbows. Let’s leave them keys.

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Local

WeHo Gives Back program launched to support small businesses

This initiative will raise funds for local businesses impacted by the recent wild fires

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The West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (WHCC) announced the launch of WeHo Gives Back, a new initiative that is committed to supporting small businesses in West Hollywood that have been impacted by the Los Angeles fires.

“The small businesses of West Hollywood are resilient, but they need our community’s support
now more than ever,” said Genevieve Morrill, WHCC president and CEO. “WeHo Gives Back is
our way of ensuring these establishments receive the support they need to recover and thrive.”

West Hollywood is home to a diverse number of locally owned businesses. From the nightlife and restaurant industries to service providers like dry cleaners and salons, there’s a business for every one of the community’s needs. According to the WeHo Chamber of Commerce, businesses have been experiencing revenue declines between 25 percent to 50 percent with retail, hotels, restaurants, and bars being hit the hardest. In some cases, businesses have reported over 70 percent in loss of revenue, leading to a reduction in staff and operating hours.

About 26 percent of West Hollywood’s workforce is made up of hospitality workers, primarily employed by small businesses. These businesses, including the hotel industry, contribute to an estimated 70 percent of the city’s revenue. Tax revenue is used to support social services, community safety, and infrastructure improvements.

WHCC is calling on the community to support through WeHo Gives Back with a goal to restore the loss in foot traffic and to raise much needed funds. The public is encouraged to venture out to West Hollywood to shop, dine, and play.

The initiative kicked off on March 1st and West Hollywood go-ers will start to see QR codes on signs, napkins and websites in order to contribute to the recovery fund.

For more information about WeHo Gives Back or where to donate, visit wehochamber.com/wehogivesback.

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West Hollywood

West Hollywood receives top score in Municipal Equality Index 

Key findings point to record amount of cities to receive 100-point score across the nation

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Courtesy of HRC

The City of West Hollywood received the highest score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index. The MEI is an evaluation by the HRC of over 500 cities across the United States, measuring a city’s laws, policies and available resources for LGBTQ+ people. 

This rating is done using a scorecard that factors in non-discrimination laws, employment opportunities and protections, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. 

“Even when anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in state capitals are working to undermine their progress, mayors and city council members keep fighting to make sure that LGBTQ+ people in their communities – especially trans people – are supported and lifted up to the fullest extent possible,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the HRC. “This year’s Municipal Equality Index shows the results of their dedication, while acknowledging the increasingly hostile environment in which they must govern.”

In addition to the score of 100, the city received flex score points in recognition of specific services such as those for LGBTQ+ youth, seniors and people lacking basic needs. Available services for people living with HIV/AIDS jumped to 134 cities nationwide, 83 cities for LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness, 78 cities with services for LGBTQ+ older adults, 163 cities with services for LGBTQ+ youth and 97 cities with services for transgender and transsexual people. 

A city’s MEI score is based on non-discrimination laws, protections, its recognition of relationships, fairness and inclusiveness in employment opportunities and resources catered to LGBTQ+ people. 

The MEI is done in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, which partners up with LGBTQ+ organizations nationally. 

“This year, a record-breaking 130 cities — over 25 percent of all MEI-rated cities — earned the highest score of 100. What is even more remarkable is that in 20 states across the country, 76 cities earned over 85 points despite hailing from a state without a nondiscrimination statute that explicitly protects LGBTQ+ people,” said Fran Hutchins, executive director at the Equality Federation Institute. 

During 2024, a record-breaking amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation was proposed and approved at all levels of government. LGBTQ+ Americans across the country have felt the effects of the legislation, which has affected and impacted schools, families and the municipalities that are essential building blocks of the U.S. 

Despite the continued anti-LGBTQ+ legislation attacks against the municipalities that have taken proactive steps to protect LGBTQ+ rights, freedoms and establish protections, many cities such as West Hollywood continue to lead and pave the way for equality. 

In its thirteen-year history, 2024’s index recorded the highest all-around city average and a record number of cities to receive a 100-point score. 

Some key findings do point to the loss of points in some cities in 2023, due to the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in some cities across the country. 

According to the MEI report, more cities than ever have taken steps to protect the most vulnerable populations, with over 10 percent of MEI-rated cities taking action against these harmful laws, nearly doubling over the last five years. 

Other figures include a new all-time high national average of 72 points. 
For more information on the report, its findings and scoring criteria, visit the HRC’s website or find the full report here.

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AIDS and HIV

New monument in West Hollywood will honor lives lost to AIDS

In 1985, WeHo sponsored one of the first awareness campaigns in the country, nationally and globally becoming a model city for the response to the epidemic

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Courtesy of the City of West Hollywood- STORIES: The AIDS Monument, more info at go.weho.org/aidsmonument.

December is AIDS/HIV awareness month and this year West Hollywood is honoring the lives lost, by breaking ground on a project in West Hollywood Park that has been in the works since 2012. 

Members of Hollywood’s City Council joined representatives from the Foundation of AIDS Monument to announce the commencement of the construction of STORIES: The AIDS Monument, which will memorialize 32 million lives lost. This monument, created by artist Daniel Tobin,  will represent the rich history of Los Angeles where many of those afflicted with HIV/AIDS lived out their final days in support of their community.

Tobin is a co-founder and creative director of Urban Art Projects, which creates public art programs that humanize cities by embedding creativity into local communities. 

The motto for the monument is posted on the website announcing the project. 

“The AIDS Monument:

REMEMBERS those we lost, those who survived, the protests and vigils, the caregivers.

CELEBRATES those who step up when others step away.

EDUCATES future generations through lessons learned.”

The monument will feature a plaza with a donor wall, vertical bronze ‘traces’ with narrative text, integrated lighting resembling a candlelight vigil, and a podium facing North San Vicente Blvd.

World AIDS Day, which just passed, is on December 1st since the World Health Organization declared it an international day for global health in 1988 to honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS. 

The Foundation for the AIDS monument aims to chronicle the epidemic to be preserved for younger generations to learn the history and memorialize the voices that arose during this time. 

The HIV/AIDS epidemic particularly affected people in Hollywood during the onset of the epidemic in the 1980s. The epidemic caused a devastatingly high number of deaths in the city. The city then became one of the first government entities to provide social service grants to local AIDS and HIV organizations. 

In 1985, the city sponsored one of the first awareness campaigns in the country, nationally and globally becoming a model city for the response to the epidemic. 

Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the theme for World AIDS Day, ‘Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.’

The city of West Hollywood continues to strive to become a HIV Zero city with its current implementation of HIV Zero Initiative. The initiative embraces a vision to “Get to Zero” on many fronts: zero new infections, zero progression of HIV to AIDS, zero discrimination and zero stigma.

Along with the initiative and the new AIDS monument, the city also provides ongoing support and programming through events for World AIDS Day and the annual AIDS Memorial Walk in partnership with the Alliance for Housing and Healing. 

For more information, please visit www.weho.org/services/human-services/hiv-aids-resources.

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LGBTQ Non-Profit Organizations

Quinceañera fashion show raises record-breaking funds

The Trans Latin@ Coalition raised approximately $300,000 to continue funding vital programs

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Maria Roman-Taylorson, Zaya Wade, TS Madison, Bamby Salcedo pose on the red carpet at GARRAS 2024. (Photo credit Niko Storment)

The Trans Latin@ Coalition raised a record-breaking amount of money at their quinceañera, celebrating fifteen years of helping the Trans, Latin American communities of West Hollywood and Los Angeles. The event took place at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, starting with a VIP reception and red carpet, followed by a fashion show featuring 14 designers. The 15th anniversary successfully highlighted the intersection of cultura, fashion and activism with a mariachi and fashion lines full of vibrant Latin American colors, patterns and embroidery. 

The quinceanera’s fashion show is called GARRAS, which stands for Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming All Systems. GARRAS is more than just a fashion show, it is also a movement to transform the Trans, Gender nonconforming and Intersex community–as well as their allies–into high-fashion icons. 

GARRAS raises funds for the Trans Latin@ Coalition and uses these events to give TGI people a platform to showcase their talents, leadership and activism. The quinceañera-themed fashion show 

Bamby Salcedo, CEO of Trans Latin@ Coalition spoke during the event to address not only the need for continued funding, but also to point out how much more unity the TGI and Latin American communities must demonstrate in light of the incoming Trump administration. 

“I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting our work, for believing in our work and for participating in the change we are all working to create,” said Salcedo to the audience. “We’re here to raise funds to continue to do the work that needs to happen, especially because of what just happened [with the election]. And you know what? [The government] is trying to scare us and diminish who we are, and I say to all those mother f*ckers ‘F*ck you!”

The fashion show and reception brought in celebrity guests, models, influencers and many other queer Los Angeles socialites. Zaya Wade, Gia Gunn from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 6, Mayhem Miller from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 10, Heidi N Closet from Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Season 12 and many influencers and personalities. 

The TGI designers who showcased their latest creations were: Leandrag, Enrique Montes, Semi Creations, Natalia Acosta, Royal Rubbish, ArmaniDae, Nuwa1997, Bad Burro, Life on Mars, HIM NYC, 10 eleven, Rag to Fab, Christiana Gallardo and Jesse Alvarado.

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Arts & Entertainment

Meet the whimsical, fairy-core Uber driver who drives a car named Mollie

Nonbinary Uber driver, Caspian Larkins is rolling on Mollie– no, not that one

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Caspian and their car Mollie they use to pick up and drop off strangers of all walks of life across Los Angeles.

Forest green faux fur, rhinestones, a fabric-lined ceiling, planted faux flowers and green plastic grass adorn the inside of an anthropomorphized car named Mollie who spends her days riding off into the sunset on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood and beyond. 

The driver of this 2008 Ford Escape, Caspian Larkins, 24 and a Cancer sign, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and through a series of humbling restaurant jobs and other side hustles, ended up driving for Uber. Though working for Uber was not on Larkins’ bingo card for 2021, they wanted to find a way to make the experience not only fun for themself, but also for the people who roll on Mollie. 

Larkins, who identifies as nonbinary and queer, grew up being one with nature in the wilderness of Oregon and when you step inside Mollie, it feels like a little magical, mystical slice of Oregonian forest–of course if it were reimagined on four wheels and zooming through traffic in Los Angeles. 

Forest green faux fur and a pink ruffle with a layer of tiny fabric roses, line the doors. Stickers on the sunroof and windows reflect rainbow hues across the white leather seats and passengers. (Photo credit Gisselle Palomera)

Going viral overnight doesn’t happen to just anyone, but this iconic duo now have thousands of followers on social media and have big plans for the future. 

ShaVonne Boggs, a content creator who hailed an Uber ride from Larkins, posted an Instagram reel of the ride and featured Larkins in all their fairy-core glory, driving through L.A traffic, with the viral Gwen Stefani ‘Just a Girl,’ audio clip playing over. 

“I went to bed that night with a couple hundred followers on my account and I woke up the next day and I had gained like 3,000 followers,” said Larkins. 

Larkins has a unique sense of style that incorporates nature, fashion and sustainability, often foraging for materials from the side of the road to add to the car and accepting donated fabrics from people who reach out to them through social media. 

“I’m a forager. What can I say?,” said Larkins and then jokingly added that Jeff Bezos also personally delivers some of the items they use to decorate Mollie. 

“I come across stuff on the street sometimes that I’ll pick up, put in my car and repurpose.” 

Larkins says that Mollie is a little bit dinged up and bruised up from the outside, but that it’s the inside that truly matters. 

There is a third character in this story that resides on the inside of the car at all times. 

Jack Aranda is the name of the guardian angel of this fairytale ride. It is a miniature rubber ducky that was given to Larkins by a spiritual witch that opted for an Uber drive, over a broom one night. 

“It was midnight, by Venice Beach and you know it was good vibes, but yea she gets in and we’re talking and she’s like ‘I’m going to give you this duck,’ and gives me this little tiny purple good luck duck,” said Larkins. “So I kept the good luck duck and I put him on my dashboard.”

Larkins says that ever since this encounter, the luck in their car changed. 

“Red lights will always turn green for me, and sometimes someone will run a red light and miss [hitting] me and I just think it’s divine intervention because of Jack.” 

Larkins poses in front of their car Mollie on a road in West Hollywood, CA. (Photo Credit Gisselle Palomera)

Larkins says that the decorated interior and its elements serves not only as a conversation starter, but also as a filter from unwanted conversations and painfully boring small talk. 

“I think that since I’ve decorated my car, it’s like my filter,” said Larkins. “The people who get in and are like, ‘Oh my god,’ those are my people and those are the ones that I’m there for. And the ones that get in and are silent, I just let them sit there and soak in the rainbows.” 

They say that there have been more good interactions, than bad ones and more people who ‘get it,’ than those who don’t. 

Anthropomorphizing cars is nothing new to pop culture. In fact, cars have almost always had names and it is almost a part of engrained American culture to assign personalities to them based on their cosmetic characteristics. 

The earliest examples on TV go as far back as the 1940s and some of the most memorable examples are Christine, the possessed, killer Camaro from Stephen King’s imaginative mind. 

Or Herbie, the 1963 Volkswagen Racing Beetle from the early cartoon TV show Herbie, the Love Bug.

In everyday routine, people spend so much time and energy on and around inanimate objects, that they sort of become meaningful elements who accompany us on our journeys from here to there–and back. 

“What I’m doing now with her is switching out different designs with the seasons,” said Larkins. 

Larkins drives around Los Angeles and West Hollywood, picking up and dropping off people from all walks of life. (Photo Credit Gisselle Palomera)

“So right now we have our spring/summer look and a lot of the things in there are removable, velcroed and stapled.” 

They say that right now they are exploring a very niche area of automotive interior design that they feel has not been explored within vehicles recently. 

“It’s just hard for other people to conceptualize it and what I often describe to people, comes off as very tacky and just kind of nasty– not demure, not cute.” 

Larkins feel they are really just now setting the stage for what’s possible, as far as interior customizations. 

“I want to start creating this world in which design plays a bigger role in what a car could be and the experience of just being transported,” said Larkins candidly. “I want to invite people into my little delusional fantasies.” 

Larkins believes that even in the present and near future of self-driving vehicles, they would like to collaborate with these major self-driving car companies and take part in designing and customizing the vehicles so that it can be a pleasurable and fun experience for riders who might feel anxiety about self-driving technology. 

The inside of Mollie is adorned from top to bottom and from left to right. (Photo Credit Gisselle Palomera)

Modifying and customizing cars has been a part of the North American experience since the early 1930s. Now, attention is shifting toward the addition of technologies like Augmented Reality, to enhance the experience of driving and getting from point A to point B, and also using that technology to navigate the vehicle without a driver. 

There are now endless possibilities when it comes to custom car culture and Larkins feels this is their place to explore and forage for the looks that people want and can’t even imagine. 

“I want to step away from driving for the platforms and I would love to design with them,” said Larkins. “There is a group of people that are in support of this future technology and there is this other group of people that are kind of scared of it because it feels very cold and very uninviting and very new, so I would like to be the one to sort of bridge that gap for those people and make it less scary.” 

The vision that Larkins has, is that they would like to reimagine the possibilities of custom interiors with interchangeable parts and additions that one could only think of as synonymous to Barbie and her endlessly fun assortment of interchangeable outfit components. 

Larkins sees a long future ahead, where they have the opportunity to collaborate with airlines, rideshare companies and any other sponsors who are willing to make their visions come to reality. Until then, they will continue to weave up and down the asphalt arteries of WeHo and beyond, rolling on Mollie and working on their fairytale ending.

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LGBTQ+ leaders from across Los Angeles gather to endorse Measure G

The ballot initiative would push toward more accountability and transparency from Los Angeles County officials

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(Photo Courtesy of Measure G press release)

On Wednesday, leaders from the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community gathered at West Hollywood Park in support of Measure G, a ballot initiative that would hold county officials and all departments accountable for corruption, fraud and closed-door deals. 

“As Mayor of West Hollywood, I’m proud to support Measure G because it’s a vital step toward making LA County’s government more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of all its residents,” said West Hollywood mayor John Erickson. “This reform is crucial for strengthening the voice of West Hollywood and every part of LA County. I urge everyone to vote yes on Measure G and help build a county government that truly works for all of our people.”

Community leaders say this ballot initiative is crucial reform on the November ballot. This initiative aims to increase representation and accountability in the LA County government. 

Other than adding more seats to the Board of Supervisors, Measure G would also create an independent ethics commission, create an elected County Executive brand and open the County budget hearings to the public for more financial transparency. 

This measure is not only supported by local LGBTQ+ leaders, but also from leaders across many other communities and industries like nurses and small businesses. 

The ethics commission would work to prevent former politicians from lobbying within their first two years after leaving office, authorize the suspension of County politicians who are criminally charged with a felony. 

The measure would create an elected County Executive position, where they would be directly responsible for the accountability of the public by putting an end to the current system where an elected bureaucrat controls LA County’s full $45 billion dollar budget. 

Among other things, the measure would also require County departments to hold public budget hearings and require a minimum of five days’ notice to the public of County’s new legislation. This would prevent politicians from making secret closed-door deals.


The press conference was led by Drag Laureate, Pickle the Drag Queen and included other prominent LGBTQ+  voices like Trans Latin@ Coalition President and CEO Bamby Salcedo, Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang and Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Commission Vice-Chair Sydney Rogers. 

“For too long, our community has struggled to access essential services like housing, healthcare, and support programs due to inequities in the allocation of county resources. Measure G ensures that public funds are distributed fairly and that the needs of marginalized communities, including trans and gender nonconforming people, are prioritized, said Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the Trans Latin@ Coalition.

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AIDS and HIV

40th anniversary AIDS Walk happening this weekend in West Hollywood

AIDS Project Los Angeles Health will gather in West Hollywood Park to kick off 40th anniversary celebration

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35th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles. Grand Park Downtown Los Angeles (Photo Courtesy Brian Lowe)

APLA Health will celebrate its 40th anniversary this Sunday at West Hollywood Park, by kicking off the world’s first and oldest AIDS walk with a special appearance by Salina Estitties, live entertainment, and speeches.

APLA Health, which was formerly known as AIDS Project Los Angeles, serves the underserved LGBTQ+ communities of Los Angeles by providing them with resources. 

“We are steadfast in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. Through the use of tools like PrEP and PEP, the science of ‘undetectable equals intransmissible,’ and our working to ensure broad access to LGTBQ+ empowering healthcare, we can make a real step forward in the fight to end this disease,” said APLA Health’s chief executive officer, Craig E. Thompson. 

For 40 years, APLA Health has spearheaded programs, facilitated healthcare check-ups and provided other essential services to nearly 20,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community annually in Los Angeles, regardless of their ability to pay. 

APLA Health provides LGBTQ+ primary care, dental care, behavioral healthcare, HIV specialty care, and other support services for housing and nutritional needs.

The AIDS Walk will begin at 10AM and registrations are open for teams and solo walkers. More information can be found on the APLA Health’s website.  

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West Hollywood

Following Emmy win for 2024 coverage, West Hollywood announces dates for WeHo Pride Weekend 2025

Celebration to take place from May 30-June 1, 2025

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The City of West Hollywood has officially announced the dates for WeHo Pride Weekend 2025, following a prestigious Emmy Award win for the 2024 event coverage. The upcoming celebration is scheduled to take place from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1, 2025, centered around West Hollywood Park at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd.

KTLA5 recently won an Emmy Award in the category of Live Special Events — News Coverage for their broadcast of the WeHo Pride Parade. The award was presented by actress Marlee Matlin at the 76th LA Area Emmy Awards ceremony. This recognition highlights the growing significance and visibility of WeHo Pride on a regional scale.

Executive Producers Marcus Smith, Wendy Burch, and Jacob Burch accepted the award with the KTLA5 team. In his acceptance speech, Jacob Burch emphasized the importance of LGBTQ representation and authenticity, stating, “To win this for something that celebrates being your true authentic self unapologetically with pride is just the sweetest serendipity and proves that it does get better.”

Jeff Consoletti, founder and CEO of JJLA, the production company that designs and executes WeHo Pride is pictured here hold the Emmy with KTLA Executive Producer Marcus Smith. (Photo courtesy of Consoletti’s Instagram account)

Key events planned for WeHo Pride Weekend 2025 include:

  1. Free Friday Night at OUTLOUD
  2. Street Fair
  3. Women’s Freedom Festival
  4. Annual Dyke March
  5. WeHo Pride Parade
  6. OUTLOUD at WeHo Pride music festival

Detailed information about WeHo Pride Weekend 2025 and the accompanying WeHo Pride Arts Festival will be released in the coming months. Updates will be posted on www.wehopride.com. Interested parties can also follow @wehopride on Instagram and Facebook for the latest information.

WeHo is a city of outsized influence. It enjoys worldwide recognition and is home to the “Rainbow District” along Santa Monica Boulevard, known for a robust LGBTQ community, its LGBTQ clubs, restaurants, and shops.

  • Over 40% of West Hollywood residents identify as LGBTQ.
  • Four out of five West Hollywood City Council members are openly LGBTQ.
  • Pride events have been held in the area since 1979, predating the city’s incorporation.
  • The city is diverse, with the largest ethnic groups being white (non-Hispanic) (70.3 percent), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.35 percent), and white (Hispanic) (5.31 percent.)
  • 91.9 percent of residents are U.S. citizens.
  • The average age of WeHo residents is 55.

West Hollywood consistently tops lists of “most LGBTQ friendly cities” in the nation. The city’s embrace of Pride is part of its advocacy for nearly four decades for measures that support LGBTQ people.

In 2022, the city launched WeHo Pride after organizers of LA Pride, Christopher Street West (a 501 C3) moved that event to Hollywood Boulevard and other locations around Los Angeles.

Many people, however, feel a consolidation of the two events is necessary, particularly given the changes in sponsorship interest and stress of funding participation in two back to back major Pride events. LA Pride and WeHo Pride are held within days of one another.

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