In April 1974, Kathy Kozachenko's successful bid for a seat on the Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...

 city council made her the first openly gay

Gay

Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

 or lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

 candidate to run successfully for political office in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.
Kozachenko ran on the ticket of the local, progressive Human Rights Party (HRP), which had already succeeded in winning two Ann Arbor council seats in 1972.

Kozachenko's HRP predecessor in the Second Ward council seat, Nancy Wechsler, had come out

Come Out

Come Out may refer to:*Come Out , a music piece by Steve Reich*Coming out, disclosing one's homosexuality or bisexuality.*"Come Out", a song by Camper van Beethoven from New Roman Times...

 as a lesbian during her first and only term on city council, thus becoming the first openly lesbian public-office holder in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. However, Wechsler did not win office as an open lesbian.