Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs (/ˈwæks/, wax; born March 1, 1939) is an American former politician and lawyer. He is the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City. He was a member of the Los Angeles City Council for 30 years, where he was known for his promotion of the arts, support of gay causes, advocacy of rent control and other economic measures.
Joel Wachs | |
|---|---|
Wachs in 1972 | |
| President of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | John Ferraro |
| Succeeded by | Pat Russell |
| Member of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office July 1, 1971 – October 1, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | James B. Potter Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Wendy Greuel |
| President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council | |
| In office July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Marvin Braude |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Galanter |
| In office July 1, 1977 – June 30, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | John Ferraro |
| Succeeded by | Peggy Stevenson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1939 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (until 1993) Independent (1993–present) |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) Harvard University (JD) New York University (LLM) |
The unmarried Wachs was a closeted gay man until he was preparing to run for mayor in 1999 at the age of 60. He was asked by Bill Rosendahl, the openly gay moderator of a public affairs television show, "Are you a gay man?" Wachs responded: "I am and I'm very proud of what I've done for the community, and I'm also very proud of the fact that what I've done for the community is what I've done for all communities."