West Hollywood mayor says his favorite part of Pride parade is 'seeing all the kids'

During the West Hollywood Pride parade on Sunday, Mayor John Erickson sat down with KTLA to discuss the event. When asked by the hosts about his favorite part, he said it was "seeing all the kids" in the audience.

The parade featured a number of floats supported by local businesses, most of which featured nearly naked men and women engaged in performances that were overtly sexual. Nonetheless, Erickson maintained that it was ok because the kids were "having so much fun."

"I loved going out there and seeing all the kids just living and being there with their parents of all shapes and sizes and just seeing them having so much fun," Erickson said, "giving them fans and throwing them candy and everything like that."

He added that "in a world like today, to have this right now front and center, we need it now more than ever."

Erickson's sentiments echoed those he espoused just days earlier during an interview with queer magazine The Fight. After moving to West Hollywood in 2012, the self-described "very proud gay man" attended his first Pride parade. After being elected to the city council, he joined the parade himself.

"It was weird. It was amazing," he told the outlet. "You get to see people. The best part is seeing all the kids and their families out there. It's just utterly breathtaking."

He went on to state that "even now in 2024 with all the threats we are facing, to sit there and say we're here, we're queer, get used to it ... it's still a political statement."

Originally from the small town of Ripon, Wisconsin, Erickson felt different from a young age and came out as a gay man as a sophomore in college. He noted, however, that, "I probably knew I was gay as more versions of LGBTQ identity were coming out on TV."