interview
As a gay man, John Brooks has devoted his life to advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people. He believes this is at great risk under Donald Trump. The fact that queer people voted for Trump baffles the Los Angeles-based artist.
01.11.2024, 04:5801.11.2024, 05:03
Ralph Steiner, North Carolina
I reached John by phone in Los Angeles. A mutual Swiss friend from their student days got in touch with the 46-year-old artist. She and her husband live in Kentucky, the same area where John lived just a few months ago. The two started talking because John's dog was wearing a Swiss collar.
Do you want to vote?
John Brooks: nature. Since I was 18. I have never missed an election in my life. Not even during the years I lived abroad.
“The reality is that one of those two people is going to be in the White House, and that person is none other than Kamala Harris.”
What do you think is the central issue in this U.S. presidential election?
First and foremost, I want to prevent Donald Trump from returning to power. In my opinion, he is a disastrous politician who represents the absolute worst of America. I would literally vote for anyone who could stop him from becoming president. That’s not to say I don’t like Vice President Kamala Harris. She has many admirable qualities and is fully qualified for this position. Of course, there are some things that bother me, like her stance on the war in Gaza. The reality is that one of these two people is going to win the White House, and that person is none other than Kamala Harris.
Originally from Kentucky, John had to choose his artistic career: New York or Los Angeles? It became Los Angeles.Image: Bearykah Badu
What do you think of Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights?
Trump and Republican bills have always targeted the rights of queer people. Content about LGBTQ+ rights was removed from government websites hours after Trump took office in 2017. The Trump administration has appointed multiple anti-queer judges, banned transgender people from serving in the military, and rolled back Obama-era LGBTQ+ workplace protections. Trump's Labor Department enacted a rule that would allow employers to fire employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity for religious reasons. The list goes on and on.
please.
Trump and his administration have enacted measures aimed at rolling back policies that protect LGBTQ+ children. They interpreted immigration rules to argue that children born to same-sex couples through surrogacy abroad are considered “illegitimate,” making it more difficult to obtain U.S. citizenship. Under Trump, the State Department began denying visas to unmarried same-sex partners of diplomats. Donald Trump and his supporters want books with LGBTQ+ content banned.
To people
His work explores themes of queer identity, memory, death, place, and contemplative issues. His work has been exhibited in the United States and Europe (including Zurich) and is collected by numerous collectors. He also published various paintings, drawings and poems in magazines. From 2017 to 2022, Brooks ran a contemporary art gallery and curated over 25 exhibitions.
“Democrats are allies of the LGBTQ+ community; under Trump, queer people are tolerated at best.”
How will it be different under a Democratic president than under Donald Trump?
According to their party platform, Democrats want to pass an equality law that would ban discrimination against queer people in areas such as housing, access to credit, education and justice. Under Joe Biden, health protections for queer people have expanded further. Democrats are allies of the LGBTQ+ community; under Trump, queer people have been tolerated at best. Of course, there may be some LGBTQ+ appointees in his administration. Yet, at the same time, he is surrounded by religious fanatics, Christian nationalists who will continue to do whatever they can to reverse the progress made on LGBTQ+ rights over the past few decades.
The painting Mind Over Matter is Magic (2021) combines photographs of Marlene Dietrich, Helene Abelon and John’s friend Chris (in a Ferrari shirt).Image: John Brooks
“Every right that queer people have today is due to the efforts of progressive politicians.”
Do you have sympathy for LGBTQ+ people who voted for Donald Trump?
No. It's like chickens voting for KFC founder Colonel Sanders. LGBTQ+ people can have completely different perspectives on various issues. Yet every vote for a Republican causes harm to the queer community. All the rights LGBTQ+ people have today are due to the efforts of progressive politicians. It is completely short-sighted to think that we no longer have to worry about our rights today.
John voted for Kamala Harris. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he is very concerned about the possible election of Trump.Image: Day Kristoff
Do you have any specific examples?
The fact that the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights in 2022 suggests that the country may be backsliding in areas that many people take for granted. This danger also threatens LGBTQ+ rights under Trump. Same-sex marriage has existed in the United States for less than a decade. Trans rights were also just emerging.
The painting Hello, Friends on the Road (2022) combines artists Stefan Zweig and Thomas Mann with contemporary queer icon Lil Nas X together.Image: John Brooks
Does the fact that Trump has a full electoral chance affect your daily life?
really. The last nine years have been pure stress for me. On the one hand, through Trump’s presidency and his policies. On the other hand, because despite, or even because of, his inhumane statements, crimes, and democratizing actions, he still has the support of millions of people. This makes me feel very sad for my country and my fellow citizens. Even if Kamala Harris wins, support for Trump remains. What does this mean for us as a people, as a country?
“I don't think Trump considers other people's suffering. He has neither interest nor ability to do so.”
Do you think Kamala Harris meets the needs of…?
Could the LGBTQ+ community be better represented because, as a dark-skinned woman, she is part of a group that is discriminated against?
Absolutely. I don’t think you have to be a woman or dark-skinned to understand what it feels like to be discriminated against. But Harris knows what that humiliation feels like. The Trump campaign has repeatedly used her race and gender to discredit her and question her ability to serve as president. Other than that, she generally seems like an understanding person. Not so with Trump. I don't think he considers other people's pain. He has neither interest nor ability for it.
John grew up in Kentucky and is now an artist in Los Angeles.Image: Day Kristoff
You are 46 years old. How is being gay different today compared to when you came out nearly 30 years ago?
The difference is huge. Today, in many places you can live freely as a gay person and be whatever you want. This basic requirement is essential. I no longer have to worry about getting fired or kicked out of my apartment because of my homosexuality.
“When I was younger, I was terrified of people finding out I was gay.”
What was the growing up process like?
I'm Catholic, and religion is very important in my family and has long influenced my worldview about homosexuality. For years I was afraid that people would find out I was gay. This can have dire consequences. I have never experienced violence, but I have always experienced rejection and ridicule.
The title of the painting Rousseau Walks on Trumpet Paths (2024) is borrowed from Joni Mitchell’s Jungle Line. The main character is Francesco Lentini, a real person who performed in a circus in the early 20th century.Image: John Brooks
Today, you live in liberal Los Angeles and work as an artist. Have you reached the point of life?
This is a little too sad for me. What I can say is that America today is a better country for gay people. It feels like a piece of land that partially belongs to my community and myself. When I was a kid, I had no role models, but today I have role models, even in the highest reaches of politics, there are people like Pete Buttigieg and Tammy Baldwin. This visibility fundamentally changes the lives of LGBTQ+ people.
What work remains to be done on LGBTQ+ rights?
If Trump is elected, our fight will continue immediately. Unfortunately, progress does not have a cumulative or linear effect. I want the arc of freedom to bend toward justice, as Martin Luther King once said. But the work is far from done.
More from “Ralph on the Road”:
Four years ago, they decided to hold elections in two battleground states: some 3 million Americans were allowed to vote in the United States from abroad. Trump supporters want to prevent that from happening. Two Swiss voters voting in a disputed US state have a clear view on this.
“Even if you live far away, domestic politics matter to you,” John Harder said. The U.S. citizen lives in Zurich, while the Democrat votes in the swing state of North Carolina.
