Gay candidate calls out "homophobic" AI-generated pics in flyers - LGBTQ Nation

West Hollywood councilmember John Erickson and multiple LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations condemned attack ads targeting his bid for a California state Senate seat. The groups said mailed flyers rely on imagery and stereotypes that evoke harmful anti-LGBTQ+ tropes and contribute to a climate of increased targeting and attacks. The ads include AI-generated images of Erickson poolside and in a bathrobe with the Eiffel Tower in the background, accusing him of using taxpayer dollars for trips to Paris and Rome. Erickson said the trips were official business, unanimously approved by the city council in public meetings. He cited a 2023 Rome trip to meet Pope Francis through a civic and community engagement program using sports, and a 2024 Paris trip to learn security logistics for the Olympics ahead of 2028. West Hollywood allocated $1 million to build Pride House LA/WeHo for the 2028 Summer Games.

"West Hollywood councilmember John Erickson and several LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations are condemning recent attack ads targeting his campaign for a California state Senate seat. In a joint statement, Equality California, Los Angeles County LGBTQ+ Elected Officials, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and Honor Pac said the flyers, which, according to the Los Angeles Blade, were mailed to voters, rely on "imagery and stereotypes that evoke harmful anti-LGBTQ+ tropes.""

""Whether intentional or inadvertent, these tactics cause real harm and contribute to a broader climate in which LGBTQ+ people are increasingly being targeted and attacked across the country for who they are," the statement reads. The ads feature AI-generated images of Erickson lounging poolside and in a bathrobe with a view of the Eiffel Tower behind him, and accuse him of using "taxpayer dollars to fund a trip to Paris and Rome.""

"The imagery implies that the trips were vacations. But Erikson says the trips were for official business and were unanimously approved by the city council in public meetings. In 2023, in his capacity as West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore, Erickson traveled to Rome to meet with the late Pope Francis as part of a program fostering civic and community engagement through sports."

"According to his campaign website, which cites the City of West Hollywood's public records, his 2024 trip to Paris for the Olympics, along with other LA County elected officials, was "to learn first-hand about security logistics" during the games ahead of the 2028 Olympics. As the reported last year, West Hollywood has allocated $1 million to build Pride House LA/WeHo, an LGBTQ+ hospitality house for the 2028 Summer Games."

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