Ann Arbor City Council
Wechsler and Jerry DeGrieck were elected to the Ann Arbor City Council as members of the Human Rights Party on April 3,1972. Political observers did not believe the third party had much chance of winning any seats,but the party's liberal platform appealed to young voters and beat university professors running as Democrats in the 1st and 2nd wards. [5] At the time of the election,Wechsler was 22,a recent University of Michigan graduate,and an employee of a local college bookstore.
During her time in office,Wechsler worked together with DeGrieck to champion numerous progressive policies. These included banning discrimination in housing,employment,supporting efforts for prison inmates to unionize and public accommodations on the basis of sexual preference,formally declaring a Gay Pride Week in Ann Arbor,and decriminalizing marijuana possession at the local level. [6] [7] [8] [9]
In 1973,while serving on the council,Wechsler came out as a lesbian and DeGrieck as a gay man in response to an anti-LGBT incident at a local restaurant. [10] [11] The incident in question involved Wechsler and several lesbian friends being kicked out of the Rubaiyat when they were seen slow dancing and kissing. [9]
In 1974,rather than seek re-election,Wechsler moved to Boston,Massachusetts where she went on to become a writer and photographer for the Gay Community News among other publications. [12] [13] She also worked at political organizations including the Resist Foundation and the American Friends Service Committee. [9]
Out lesbian Kathy Kozachenko was elected to fill Wechsler's seat on the council,becoming the first openly LGBT politician to win an election in the United States. [1] [2]
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