October 17, 2025 | Michail Takach

John Erickson: changing the world with powerful purpose

Powered by a passion for community service, John's journey has taken him from the streets of small town Wisconsin to serving as Mayor of West Hollywood.

John Erickson

"Find the people you want to change the world with and never let them go."

John Erickson was born in Oshkosh in 1985 and spent his entire childhood in Ripon, Wisconsin (population: 7,500.) He describes his childhood as “idyllic,” with a lovely family, great friends, and a supportive community.

“Believe it or not, I really enjoyed growing up in a small town,” he said.

He has positive memories of Ripon High School. He was a “joiner” – involved in athletic and academic activities – and he also spent a lot of time at the local library. He learned public service at an early age, working with his grandmother at the Ripon Senior Center, where they distributed food baskets to families, played music in the Harmonica Rascals band, and hosted local community events.

John knew he was gay from a young age. While he isn’t aware of any LGBTQ people in his own family, he was fortunate to have friends with gay parents, who helped him expand his understanding of different identities.

“My friend’s father had one of the first gay marriages in town,” he said, “and it was announced on the front page of the local newspaper, including the location of their reception. While that might feel like a safety issue now, it felt so brave and honest at the time.”

He also credits his sister’s best friend, who he considers a “bonus” sister in his life.

“She’s a lesbian, and we always clicked when we were together,” he said. “We knew we were family, whether we said it out loud or not, and she became a very safe space for me.”

Although John grew up in a town with a Gay-Straight Alliance, he wasn’t quite ready to make a statement about himself.

“I wasn’t out in high school, because I didn’t feel safe enough to be out in high school,” said John. “You read all the horror stories, you hear what some kids go through, and you wonder what might happen to you. I always told myself, if I’m going to come out, I need to make sure I have a place to live and money to support myself. I needed to take care of myself first.”

“I was smart enough to know that this could be a worst-case scenario,” said John. “At the same time, I was always guided by the love that my grandmother and my family showed me.”

After graduating high school in 2004, John enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. After two years of playing college volleyball, he decided to transfer to Oshkosh to play on a better team.

By the time he was a college sophomore, he’d already experienced a hate crime.

“I wasn’t physically injured, the perpetrators were held accountable, and they’ve apologized many times since then,” said John, “but this is something that happened to me while I was working through my own self-acceptance. These type of events can really discourage and derail people, but I didn’t let it do that to me.”

First, John came out to his friends and was inspired by their support. Then, he came out to his sisters, and they became true champions. But he still hadn’t come out to his parents.

That moment of truth arrived one November night.

“I was on the phone with my mother, and she was badgering me about bringing a girlfriend home,” he said. “And here I was, dating my first real boyfriend.”

“So I just said it: I’m not bringing home a girlfriend, Mom. I’m bringing home a boyfriend, and his name is Dan. She lost her cookies for a second.”

“I wasn’t stupid. I knew there might be consequences. But now, I had a job. I was away at school. I had my own grown-up life. I could take care of myself. And so, I decided to come out.”

“I don’t take oppression laying down,” said John. “When I came out to my family, my attitude was, ‘if you don't accept me for who I really am, I don't f*cking care.”

Although the moment was tense, John and his mother maintained a positive relationship, and he considers her one of his best friends. His sisters, as licensed psychologists and school therapists, helped his parents navigate their emotions from confusion to acceptance.

“It’s disgusting we even have to do this. It’s like, why can’t we just be ourselves without announcing who we are?” said John. “Still, it was such a huge sigh of relief. I was finally able to fully be who I am.”

Support soon came from unexpected places. Driving to his grandmother’s funeral with his uncles, John was surprised when they suddenly said, “you know, John, we don’t care if you’re gay.”

“All I could say was, ‘thank you,’” said John. “That meant a lot to me. It felt like such a big bookmark in my life. I never really had the chance to tell my grandmother I was gay. But I think she probably knew and loved me no matter what.”

Today, John feels very fortunate that he had a positive coming out experience. However, he recognizes that others have experienced (and continue to experience) family rejection, violence, and worse.

When John graduated, he was the first out athlete to ever attend UW-Oshkosh.

“I always wanted to be a teacher or professor,” said John. “I loved going to college. Knowledge really is power. I was accepted to multiple graduate schools. When I flew out to Claremont Graduate University in 2009, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. It just felt right. It was that moment in the story where you pick up your whole life and move across the country. And that started a crazy new chapter that led me right to where I am now.”

After being accepted into a PhD program, John received two master’s degrees in two years. He was the first male student at UW-Oshkosh to earn a bachelor’s in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and the first male student at Claremont to earn a master’s in this area.

After graduating, he moved to New York City with a former partner. There was just one problem: he really didn’t like New York City.

One day, he got a call from his former director, Linda Perkins.

“She said, ‘there’s a paid internship available at the City of West Hollywood -- and I think you should apply.’”

There was just one issue: the intern had to be local. Although John and his partner weren’t sure they were ready to commit to New York, they weren’t sure they were ready to move back to California either. He declined the opportunity.

A week later, his whole life changed.

“The city randomly called me back and asked: are you sure you don’t want this internship?” he said. “They weren’t satisfied with the applicants, and they really wanted me to apply.”

“So, I said yes, and we moved to Santa Monica. I worked in West Hollywood, completed by PhD coursework in about a year and a half, and here we are.”

People are often surprised that John earned his PhD in religion.

“They say, ‘you don’t seem very religious,’ “he said.

“You have to understand I was always fascinated with this idea that I was going to hell. I was an inquisitive child, to say the least, and all that inquisitiveness made itself known in my dissertation.”

Working for the City Council, John discovered the power of public policy. As a city that has been LGBTQ-operated since 1984, West Hollywood has served as a progressive model for the nation. City Council members serve for four-year elected terms, where one councilmember serves as Mayor. Rather than independently electing the mayor, the Council decides who will assume rotating mayoral duties year-by-year.

In 2024, John found himself nominated to serve as Mayor of West Hollywood.

After being re-elected to City Council for another four-year term, John is now pursuing an even higher office. He’s running for California State Senate representing District 24, which includes most of West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu, and more. The outcomes will be decided in the June 2026 elections.

What motivates John to do more and be more?

“My grandmother taught me years ago in Ripon, Wisconsin to give yourself to the community. And here I am, standing at the front of the line, saying ‘I am here to help.’”

“It’s all about serving a greater purpose,” said John. “It’s an act of true faith. You must believe in yourself – that you are a person who can lead in a moment of need. When I look back to that young kid I was in Ripon, I tell myself you can do this. You can do anything. I do this for my nieces and nephews. I want them to know they can be whatever they want to be if they work hard.”

John now recognizes that he was growing up at a time when the world was changing quickly -- but not quickly enough.

“While social media has helped some people stay in their silos, it’s also helped yesterday’s outsiders find and connect with their communities,” he said. “It’s helped kids realize that they can be who they are and still achieve incredible things. I’m seeing that come to life in Ripon and other small towns throughout Wisconsin.”

In 2024, John was named Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the Ripon Social Justice Alliance, a student-led group that hosts the annual Ripon Pride Rally.

“I never thought that Ripon would have its own pride festival in a million years,” said John. “I never would have seen that coming. Today, the LGBTQ Alliance is the second most powerful group at Ripon High School (next to Future Farmers of America.). I’m glad to see the next generation picking up the slack and really moving things forward. And that’s incredible, because it shows that progress can happen anywhere – even in the smallest of towns, even in the birthplace of the Republican Party.”

“I’ve always loved my hometown, to say the least,” said John. “I’m currently working on a novel based in a very Ripon-like small town. And I still have family in Ripon.”

“I’ve always tried to give back to Ripon,” he said, “even if it’s just mentoring and coaching kids to be their best selves. Look at me: I came from Ripon and look what I’ve been able to achieve. You can and will do this too.”

What advice would John give to his 14-year-old self?

“Figure out your purpose and then fight like hell for it. Find the people you want to change the world with and never let them go. When you find a community that’s worth fighting for, the possibilities are endless. And never, ever stop dreaming.”