Endorsements demonstrate strength, support

Wan gains support of national and statewide organizations

Atlanta, September 27, 2013 – Alex Wan, a long-time Morningside homeowner and civic leader who is seeking re-election to his Atlanta City Council District 6 post, has been endorsed by Georgia Equality (www.GeorgiaEquality.org) and by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund (www.VictoryFund.org).

“Through his work these past four years on City Council and through his many years of broad community activism and engagement in the greater Atlanta community, Alex has demonstrated that he is the best candidate to represent the full diversity of District 6 at City Hall,” says Jeff Graham, Executive Director of Georgia Equality. “We are proud to endorse him in his bid for re-election. We have made great strides under his leadership and look forward to his continuing leadership.” 

Georgia Equality, the state’s largest statewide LGBT advocacy group, was founded in 1995 and works to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied communities. The Victory Fund is the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elected officials at all levels of government. It “identifies trains and elects LGBT leaders to all levels of office, in every corner of America.”

“We were proud to endorse Alex in 2009 and are thrilled to endorse him again today,” says Victory Fund President & CEO Chuck Wolfe. “Alex has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the District’s diverse neighborhoods, and undertaken his role on the City Council with an admirable collaborative leadership style. His service and leadership during a time of great political change for LGBT people has been significant and it’s critical for that to continue in Atlanta.”

“I am honored by the support of both Georgia Equality and the Victory Fund,” says Wan. “Victory Fund’s candidate training has played important part of my public service journey and helped lead to my decision to run for office. I want to further my work ensuring that the diverse communities of District 6 collaborate, by continuing to leverage my deep roots in the community, long-time civic leadership, solid business experience and relationships built at City Hall and beyond.”

“Likewise, I am especially appreciative that Georgia Equality recognizes me not just as a gay candidate, but for my ongoing commitment to the community,” Wan says. “I do believe I have earned the vote of LGBT residents in District 6, and will continue to be a strong, vocal, and positive advocate for the community’s issues.”

In announcing Georgia Equality’s support of Wan, Graham notes some of the ways in which the Councilman has delivered on matters that are important to the LGBT community: Convincing his colleagues on City Council to take a position of support for marriage equality, helping strengthen the city’s non-discrimination clauses to make sure that gender identity is explicitly included, and, in general, making sure that the LGBT community is represented at crucial City events.

Wan is the first Asian American and first openly gay man to serve on Atlanta City Council. He is Director of Development for Emory University libraries, and previously served as Director of Development for Jerusalem House, an HIV/AIDS non-profit focusing on housing. Before that, he was a successful entrepreneur.
 
Raised in Atlanta and a Morningside homeowner for over 19 years, Wan was perhaps best known before his Council win for long-time community involvement, including service on the Atlanta Development Authority (now Invest Atlanta) Board, for which he served as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair, and as the founder of the successful For the Kid in All of Us, an all-volunteer non-profit. 

He holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Finance MBA from Wharton Business School.

City Council District 6 encompasses much of Northeast Intown Atlanta, including Ansley Park, Atkins Park, Brookwood Hills (joins the district 01/01/2014), Candler Park (leaves the district 01/01/2014), Druid Hills, Lindbergh/Morosgo (joins the district 01/01/2014), Lindridge/Martin Manor, Midtown (part leaves 01/01/2014), Morningside/Lenox Park, Piedmont Heights, Sherwood Forest and Virginia-Highland.

For more information about Wan and his campaign: www.AlexWanForAtlanta.com.