On June 5th approximately 2,500 cyclists and crew will leave San Francisco making the 575-mile journey to Los Angeles on the AIDS Lifecycle. One of those committed do-gooders is Erick Lopez, this week’s Hottie of the Week. Erick has been the captain of Rest Stop 4 for the past few years, raising thousands and thousands of dollars for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Born in Guatemala but predominantly raised in the suburbs that surround Phoenix, Erick always knew he was a city boy. In June of 2008, he moved to San Francisco where he grew into himself and became the spicy, spitfire pest (his words! lol) he is today.
A leather and kink enthusiast Erick is a huge fan of Batman, even connecting the Caped Crusader to setting on the path to his love of leather. Erick constantly gives back to the queer community, which in our eyes makes him even hotter, from judging the San Francisco Leather Contest for 8 years to producing events at The Edge, the bar he works in the Castro, that raises money for numerous charities in the Bay Area.
We gave this social justice warrior or Hottie of the Week questionnaire to find out more about him!
Name: Erick Lopez
Age: 38
Website / social media handles: RS4Blouse (FB & IG)
Where do you call home? San Francisco
What do you think is the most attractive part about yourself? I’m very community-driven. It’s what keeps me friendly and how I get to meet so many great people.
What do you find you are complimented on you the most? Physically? Probably my lips and my smile. Otherwise, it’s my zero bullsh*t tolerance I am complimented on the most. Not afraid to call things and people out and keep folx grounded.
What, to you, defines sexy? Confidence! There is nothing sexier than that to me. If you own whomever and whatever you are, that goes way further than anything physical.
What is your proudest moment so far in your life? While I have several, most recently it had to have been getting an “Ovasion” award from the AIDS/LifeCycle for raising just over $50,000 in a matter of 5 years.
What haven’t you accomplished, personally or professionally, that you are wanting to do in the next 2-3 years? Own my own bar, if not several. For as long as I can remember, I have always been customer service oriented as well. As little kids, many people ask to play “house,” or some sort of other role-playing game. I was the type that always asked my siblings to play “store” or “restaurant,” and I was always the clerk or the server. As an adult, I have worked many customer service positions, but with the personality and mouth I have, I found bars are the way to go for me; more specifically gay bars, obviously. The Edge in SF is very community-driven and is just the perfect fit for me,
Have you found love? If so, what is the best part of your relationship and what do you love most in your partner(s)? If not, what do you look for in the ideal relationship? I’m very lucky to say I have. My partner Ayden has to be one of the most patient and understanding individuals I have ever met. I mean, to put up with my purposefully annoying and strong-ass personality on a daily? He deserves a trophy. He is definitely the water to my fire.
Rapid fire question time:
What is your all-time favorite movie? Garden State. It’s SO not typically the kind of movie I go for but this one just happened to fall into my life at a time when I really needed it.
Who is your biggest celebrity crush? Ryan Phillipe has and will always hold a special place in my special areas.
What is your favorite cheat meal or snack? I cheat in all my meals! I’m not really someone that cares to count calories. However, I will say any sort of baked good is my weakness
If you were stuck on an island for eternity, what music album would you want to have with you? Mariah Carey’s #1’s album
What does it mean to be featured as our Instinct Hottie? Honestly? It means I am putting myself out there enough to be recognized for it. If I can bring more attention to any cause I am currently working on, my job here is done.
Anything else you’d like to share with the Instinct readers? Yes. Keep your eyes out for my AIDS/LifeCycle adventures coming up June 5th-11th. I am very fortunate to be captain of the elusive Rest Stop 4! For years, RS4 has been a rider favorite with all the extra work we put in for them. From our over-the-top themes with elaborate costumes and decor to our busted, yet hilarious, drag performances; RS4 has been called the ALC’s mini-Disney land due to our endless entertainment. I am so very excited about this year’s themes. But sorry! They are top secret.
Thanks for making your community proud, Erick! If you would like to donate to Erick’s AIDS Lifecycle fundraising campaign, click here.
How did I miss commenting on this gay hottie, here’s my thumbs up 🙂