All Invited to Historical Marker Unveiling Ceremony Sept. 4
In just over one week, Ann Arbor will honor past city leaders who were pioneers in national LGBTQ+ and human rights history. All are invited to the south plaza outside of Larcom City Hall, 301 E. Huron St., 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, for a special ceremony to unveil a new State of Michigan Historical Marker. The marker will permanently commemorate the courageous actions of former Ann Arbor City Councilmembers Nancy Wechsler and Jerry DeGrieck, who, in 1973, became the first elected officials in the United States to come out as lesbian and gay while holding public office, and to honor Kathy Kozachenko, the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate elected to a public office in the United States (in 1974). The marker also celebrates the Human Rights Party, of which, DeGrieck, Kozachenko and Wechsler were members, and posthumously recognizes the contributions of LGBTQ+ rights pioneer Jim Toy, for the dedicated advocacy that led to the passage of the first-ever Lesbian-Gay Pride Week Resolution by a governing body and the expansion of the City of Ann Arbor Human Rights Ordinance to include protections for sexual orientation.
The Sept. 4 ceremony will feature remarks from elected officials and community leaders, as well as guests of honor, Kozachenko and DeGrieck and a representative from the Jim Toy Center, a special vocal performance, followed by the formal unveiling of the State of Michigan historical marker. The marker will be installed near where the Huron Street sidewalk and Ann Arbor Municipal Center ramp meet.
On Feb. 8, 2024, the Michigan Historical Commission officially approved the City of Ann Arbor’s application and granted permission to city officials to erect a historical marker recognizing State Site No. 769, Ann Arbor and LGBTQ+ Rights/Ann Arbor and Human Rights. This project was a result of the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office work with City Council during the A200 Bicentennial Celebration recognizing Ann Arbor’s important history in LGBTQ+ elections and elected office.
Plaque inscription
In October 1973, the Ann Arbor City Council debated the city’s failure to prosecute lesbian and gay discrimination under its landmark 1972 Human Rights Ordinance. Council members Nancy Wechsler and Jerry DeGrieck came out as lesbian and gay, respectively, in order to emphasize the importance of active enforcement under the law. They were the first elected officials holding public office to come out as LGBTQ+ in the United States. Neither sought reelection, but Kathleen Kozachenko, a 21-year-old University of Michigan student, campaigned for Wechsler’s Ward 2 seat as an openly lesbian woman. She won the position on April 2, 1974, by fifty-two votes, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate elected to a public office in the United States. University of Michigan student Jerry DeGrieck and recent graduate Nancy Wechsler, representing the Human Rights Party, won seats on the Ann Arbor City Council in 1972. While in office, they worked with LGBTQ+ rights pioneer Jim Toy to author and introduce the Lesbian-Gay Pride Week Resolution, the first of its kind passed by any governing body in the country. Wechsler and DeGrieck also initiated the Human Rights Ordinance, passed by the city council on July 10, 1972. With it, Ann Arbor joined East Lansing to become the first cities in the United States to protect LGBTQ+ community members from housing discrimination. The council extended the ordinance in December 1972 to include protections for employment and other public accommodations.
In the event of inclement weather, the program will be moved indoors, to Ann Arbor City Council chambers, second floor, Larcom City Hall, 301 E. Huron St. Adjacent, metered parking (parking-app/pay-kiosk) is located, as available, along East Ann Street and also along North Fifth Avenue.
# # # # #
Media Contact:
Jacqueline Beaudry, Ann Arbor City Clerk, jbeaudry@a2gov.org