History & landmarks / Ann Arbor
Kathy Kozachenko Statue and Ann Arbor's LGBTQ Political Firsts
Ann Arbor City Hall is tied to two US firsts: council members who came out in office in 1972 and the first openly gay elected official in 1974.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Ann Arbor City Hall is linked to two national milestones. In 1972 city council members Jerry DeGrieck and Nancy Wechsler became the first officeholders in the United States to come out while in office. Two years later, in 1974, Kathy Kozachenko became the first openly gay person elected to public office in the country. A statue honoring Kozachenko was announced as part of Ann Arbor's 2024 bicentennial, but its installation has not been confirmed.
- 1974: first openly gay person elected in the US
- 1972: two council members came out in office
- Statue announced for the 2024 bicentennial
Is this your venue? Update this page for free ↗
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
Official website & visitor information ↗Keep exploring
LGBTQ+ ↗
History & landmarks
Palmer Park Apartment Buildings Historic District
Ornate 1920s–30s apartment district that for decades was Detroit's best-known gay neighborhood, listed on the National Register in 1983.
History & landmarks / Ann Arbor
U-M Human Sexuality Office / Spectrum Center
Opened in 1971 in the Michigan Union, the first office of its kind at any US university still serves LGBTQ+ students as the Spectrum Center.
History & landmarks / Ann Arbor
AADL LGBTQ+ Walking Tour
A free, self-guided Ann Arbor walk from the public library that traces local queer history, including landmarks that no longer exist.