Culver City, the California city where The Wizard of Oz was filmed, has elected its first out gay mayor — and some notable Ozians were there to celebrate.
Freddy Puza was unanimously voted by Culver City's city council last Monday to become mayor, making him the first out LGBTQ+ person to hold this post in Culver's 108-year history.
Culver City is a major entertainment hub; it's home to Sony Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where Judy Garland made cinema (and gay) history as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. To mark Puza's election, Oz witches Glinda and Elphaba were present at Puza's swearing-in last week.
Puza, the former vice mayor of Culver City who was first elected to the city council in 2022, was sworn in by the city clerk — and his mayoral badge was pinned on by his nephew and goddaughter. "It was, truly, a wicked good time," Puza says of the ceremony.
Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza with Glinda and ElphabaCourtesy Freddy Puza
Puza also recognized the importance of his election during the current political moment. "It is a honor to serve and make history as Culver City’s first openly LGBTQ Mayor, after serving as the city’s first LGBTQ Vice Mayor. The significance of that is not lost on me, especially in a moment when LGBTQ+ rights are still treated as negotiable, when LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionately high suicide rates, and when being LGBTQ+ remains criminalized in parts of the world. This moment sends a message far beyond our city: a message of visibility, dignity, and hope," Puza says.
"Diversity is not a slogan. It is our strength. When leadership looks like the people it serves, something shifts — not just in City Hall, but in classrooms and living rooms. It shifts in the minds of kids who have been told, implicitly or explicitly, that leadership isn’t meant for them. Today, they can see that it is," he adds.
"Growing up, there [weren't] many out role models. I was led to believe my future would mirror the narrow, negative stereotypes of LGBTQ+ people portrayed in the media. Standing here now proves those stories wrong. That door is open, and once it’s open, it doesn’t close. We move forward with pride."
Puza will serve as Culver City's mayor for a 12-month term, and is "committed to making Culver City a destination and a home that’s welcoming for all."
Freddy Puza and Elphaba make a heart after Puza's historic election.Courtesy Freddy Puza
