A friendly place for all its residents

Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting, Dec. 7, 1987

Herzenberg Wins Seat - by Sean Rowe

Lambda, Carolina Gay & Lesbian Association Newsletter, page 8, December, 1987

By SEAN ROWE

On November 3, 1987, 3,575 Chapel Hill voters elected this state’s first openly gay politician. Joe Herzenberg, a 46-year old historian and former catfish rancher, who lost three previous bids for a seat on the town council, finally won…

Read original version as PDF in Lamdba archives

(Editor's note - The author of this article, Sean Rowe, is a novelist and former reporter for the Miami Herald. Sean was a close friend of Joe's and traveled with him to several continents during the 80's and 90's.

Orange County Commissioner and former mayor of Carrboro Mike Nelson convinced Joe to make one last run for the Town Council in 1987 and orchestrated a brilliant race as his campaign manager. In 1995, Mike would himself become the first openly gay mayor in N.C.

Interviewed by Joseph Mosnier in 1995, Joe recalled how "they had planned to turn any anti-gay attacks to their advantage in the race, believing that local voters would rally to support him if he was attacked for this reason." (Mosnier's words) This proved unneccesary, because Joe said from his '85 campaign on, he encountered very few incidents where his sexual preference was an issue in Chapel Hill.

Mike Nelson reflected on the significance of Joe's '87 victory in an October, 2007 post on his blog titled Twenty Years Later, written shortly before Joe's death.)

Joe and Kathie Young share a victory hug

Joe & Kathie Young share a victory hug on election night, 1987

Campaign fundraiser reception invitation, Herzenberg for Town Council, 1987

Campaign fundraiser reception invitation from 1987, Herzenberg for Town Council. Courtesy of Mark Donahue.

Campaign contribution thank-you note from 1987, Herzenberg for Town Council

Campaign fundraiser reception invitation from 1987, Herzenberg for Town Council. Courtesy of Mark Donahue.

Postcard invite to founding meeting of the Triangle Alliance, 1987

Invitation to attend Jan. 28, 1987 founding meeting of the Triangle Alliance. Postcard courtesy of Mark Donahue.