Mickey Weems was, and continues to be, a truly fantastic human being. I had the fortune of meeting him a few months before he made the decision to die, and I will always be grateful that he gave us that opportunity.

Queer people, folklorists included, often struggle with crushing feelings of disconnect with their fellow man, including the subject of ancestry. We don't see ourselves reflected in our family tree, we don't see our life experiences told in the past tense by elders. With this in mind, Mickey extended an extraordinarily generous offer to our community: he wanted to offer himself as a surrogate ancestor. Someone we could remember and feel that spiritual tether to. I had never known that this would be important to me until it was offered, and I cannot begin to describe how transformative it is to have a queer ancestor, someone I see myself in, someone whom I believe is keeping tabs on us despite not having a physical form.

I live my life in honor of Mickey, and of other elders with stories like his. His wish was for me and my colleagues to continue building upon foundations he helped lay down, and I fully intend to do so. Speaking to Mickey directly: whenever I listen to "F For You" by Disclosure and Mary J Blige, I think of you having the best time ever in the big circuit party in the sky.

If Mickey were to be a monster, I'd like to think he would be a Lost Boy from the titular 80's horror film. The critical levels of camp and sexuality feel reminiscent of Mickey's past research and fieldwork, and I can clearly see him living life as a vampire on Santa Monica Pier.

~ Matty Howard