Nonbinary, Puerto Rican icon, comedian, actor and activist, Vico Ortiz, 33, binds and weaves awkward childhood moments, family expectations, Walter Mercado and the love of their life embodied by a household mop, to tell the story of the rise of a king. 

During the peak of Pride month, Ortiz gifted the Los Angeles queer and trans communities with a spectacularly queer, solo show featuring themself in their quest of self-discovery, a profound sense of connection and reconnection with their femininity and masculinity through growing pains and moments of doubt. This is a show that Ortiz describes as “wholesome, but burlesque.” 

King Vico Ortiz rises

The show, which premiered on June 12, details Ortiz’s childhood, vignetting and transforming through their most formative years and through canon events that led them to their gay awakening, such as watching Disney’s Mulan (in Spanish) and the moment Ortiz cut their hair in honor of the scene where Mulan cuts hers off. Ortiz took the audience on a journey through their inner monologue during the moments in their childhood and into adulthood, where they not only come to terms with their identity, but also learn to understand the internal battle their parents went through as they watched their king rise. 

Though Ortiz mostly only acted prior to writing and producing their first solo show, they finally took their opportunity to do things a little differently. Last June, their friend Nikki Levy, who runs a show called Don’t Tell My Mother, coached Ortiz to dredge up childhood memories and tether them in a way that could be told and understood by an audience as a show about queerness and self-discovery.  

“[Levy] started asking me those questions that dig deeper into the emotional journey of the story, not just ‘hehe’ ‘haha’ moments, but there’s something a little deeper happening,” said Ortiz in an interview with the L.A. Blade. This is when they asked Levy to help coach them through the process of putting the story together in a way that Ortiz imagined it, but also in a way that made sense to the audience.

Ortiz says that with a little bit of ‘astrology woo-woo-ness, a little bit of magic woo-woo-ness, drag and fabulosity,’ they tether together the story of the relationship between them and their mother. 

“Astrology had a huge influence in my life growing up from the get-go,” said Ortiz. “I was born and [my mother] printed my birth chart.” The Libra sun, Sagittarius rising, Scorpio moon and Venus in Virgo, says they have always known their chart and that not only did astrology play a huge role in their life growing up, but so did astrologer-to-the-stars Walter Mercado. 

The solo was partly influenced by their mother and partly influenced by the iconic, queer, androgynously-elegant Mercado, who famously appeared on TV screens across homes in Latin America and the United States for a segment on that day’s astrological reading. 

Seeing Mercado on that daily segment shaped Ortiz’s view of gender and began to understand themselves in a new-found light — one in which they saw their most authentic self. 

“Seeing that this person is loved and worshipped by all these people who are like: ‘we don’t care that Walter looks like Walter, we just love Walter,’” said Ortiz. This is when they realized that they too, wanted to be loved and adored by the masses, all while fully embracing their masculinity and femininity. 

Closing Night of ‘Rise of a King’

The closing night show of ‘Rise of a King’ was a reminder of how unpredictable life can be and how darkness comes in on some of our brightest moments. Ortiz brilliantly pulled off an improv monologue during a 15-minute power outage. Though it was unpredictable, it was on theme. Ortiz owned the stage, going on about childhood memories that shaped them into who they are today and how they have reconnected with the imaginative child that once told the story of a half-butterfly, half-fish.

The rest of the show went according to plan, immersing the audience in a show that took us straight into the closet of Ortiz’s parents and where Ortiz not only discovered, but learned to embrace who they truly are — to the first moments they embraced the king within and outwardly began to show it to audiences, and eventually their mother. 

The set, designed by Jose Matias, functioned as a walk-in closet that transforms throughout the show against the backdrop of drawings of Ortiz and their family memories projected on a big screen on the stage. 

Ortiz’s original, solo-show had its world premiere at FUERZAfest in New York City, then its west coast premiere at L.A.’s own Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Follow @puertoricanninja for more updates on their upcoming work.

WeHo Pride is now fully underway with an arts festival happening now, leading up to a weekend-long worth of events celebrating the kick-off of Pride season. 

On Friday, May 31, the Women’s Freedom Festival will take over the Celebration Stage, celebrating women’s rights — and wrongs. The event is co-sponsored and produced by the L-Project, featuring emerging and local artists from the LGBTQ and QTBIPOC identities, including activists, musicians, poets and comedians. 

The exciting lineup of events features an arts festival that is currently hitting the streets of West Hollywood, the historic Dyke March featuring Dykes on Bikes and Pride Riders L.A. — an organization for queer and lesbian women motorcycle riders — and much, much more. 

Katrina Vinson is the founder of Pride Riders L.A., working hard over the last few years to bring much-needed visibility to dykes, women who love women and nonbinary people who identify as sapphics. 

Her application to start the first Dykes on Bikes Los Angeles chapter is about more than branding. It’s about connection to a legacy of activism — dating back to the group’s 1976 founding in San Francisco, when leather-clad lesbians led the Pride parade in defiance of the police force and society’s patriarchal norms.

“It’s not just about riding,” Vinson says. “It’s about showing up for each other and reminding the world that we’re still here, still loud, still proud — and still riding.”

Pride Riders LA will feature an all-women and nonbinary people lineup of motorcycle bike riders, revving their engines all up and down West Hollywood. Pride Riders LA will roll in following the Women’s Freedom Festival, creating a transition from stage to street. The call for riders is already underway—with an emphasis on inclusivity and outreach to younger riders, trans and nonbinary folks, and LGBTQ+ bikers of color.

Jackie Steele is a multi-faceted community organizer and longtime activist who has built a reputation in queer and sapphic spaces. She is the Los Angeles District Attorney LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Chair, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Member, and was previously the Public Safety Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood, Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Advisory Board of the City of West Hollywood and a self-proclaimed militant queer.

“Chris Baldwin runs the L-project and what they’ve put together is a concert and an event that is a true celebration of intersectional queer identities,” said Jackie Steele. “We worked really hard to work with the city to create a space that was accessible for everybody, where folks can just come out, enjoy the street fair and enjoy themselves.” 

This year, they are expecting around 50 bikes to roll through for the Dyke March, so if you’ve never been, this will be a moment to remember, some might even call it a canon event. 

“If you’ve never been, Dyke March is a celebration of dykes and what lesbians have done in the community — which is often under-celebrated,” said Steele. “There’s going to be bikes everywhere, engines roaring, a live program on stage and we will be fists in the air, standing together.” 

WeHo Pride will take over Santa Monica Blvd., over the weekend. Check the West Hollywood Pride events page to keep up with street closures, parking information and full lineup of performers and events.

Among other queer and ally big names like Lizzo, Alyssa Edwards, Kim Petras and 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 31^st. Hotel Rock Bottom will be released June 27^th, available wherever you stream your music.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.