City to Host LGBTQ+ Historical Marker Unveiling Ceremony Sept. 4
The City of Ann Arbor invites community members to attend a special ceremony unveiling a new LGBTQ+ historical marker on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 11 a.m. The event will take place on the south side of Larcom City Hall, 301 E. Huron Street, to honor a pivotal chapter in LGBTQ+ history that unfolded right here in Ann Arbor.
On February 8, 2024, the Michigan Historical Commission officially approved the City’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 City Clerk’s Office work with City Council during the Bicentennial year to recognize Ann Arbor’s important history in LGBTQ+ elections and elected office.
A new Michigan Historical Marker will be unveiled that commemorates the courageous actions of 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. It also commemorates Kathy Kozachenko who was elected in 1974 becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate elected to a public office in the United States. This marker celebrates the Human Rights Party, and LGBTQ+ rights pioneer Jim Toy, for their 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's Human Rights Ordinance to include protections for sexual orientation.
The ceremony will feature remarks from city staff, elected officials, and community leaders, followed by the unveiling of the permanent plaque.
Mayor Christopher Taylor emphasized the significance of this moment, “Ann Arbor has a long and proud history of standing at the forefront of civil rights. This marker is not just about honoring the past, but about reaffirming our commitment to equity, dignity, and inclusion for all. The bravery and leadership of Nancy Wechsler, Jerry DeGrieck, and Kathy Kozachenko remind us that change begins when individuals speak out and take action.”
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.
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Media Contact:
Jacqueline Beaudry, Ann Arbor City Clerk, jbeaudry@a2gov.org