Ferndale winner says being gay is not the issue
New mayor is proud of civic progress.
The newly elected and openly gay mayor of Ferndale said being gay is no longer an issue in city politics.
His sexual orientation had little to do with his campaign, said Craig Covey, 50, elected Tuesday with 54% of the vote.
Covey, a Ferndale councilman for eight years, said his campaign was able convince voters that the city had found inventive ways to succeed.
“Ferndale has demonstrated how to be successful in these new times, using smart-growth policies, diversity, inclusion and a walkable downtown,” Covey said Wednesday.
“We’ve shown the region how a struggling rust-belt suburb can shine,” said Covey, who is CEO of the Michigan AIDS Prevention Project, a Ferndale-based nonprofit agency.
Despite Covey’s words, however, his sexual orientation was a frequent topic before the election. And Covey’s opponent was best known for having opposed a city ordinance that some call a gay-rights law.
Thomas Gagne, 43, led an ill-fated campaign in 2005 against the Ferndale Human Rights Ordinance, which passed by a 3-1 vote ratio. The ordinance made Ferndale one of a handful of Michigan cities to ban discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Gagne said Wednesday he was mischaracterized for his stand.
“A lot of people think I’m anti-gay. My wife and I know a lot of gay people. We have them over for barbecues. I don’t need to parade that,” he said.
Gagne (pronounced GON-yay) is a software designer for a Huntington Woods firm that finances supplier firms. A newcomer in city politics, he said he made a strong showing Tuesday with a 46% tally.
Covey is known for founding the city’s summer pub crawl, which sends thousands of dollars each year to charities — including the one he runs — and for founding Ferndale’s annual winter blues festival, which drew nationwide publicity during the 2006 Super Bowl week.
Covey has spearheaded efforts to promote energy efficiency, including a policy of free parking at city meters to drivers of hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.
Source: freep.com