By Sharon Gittleman
FERNDALE – While LGBT issues don't dominate the Ferndale ballot this year, the candidates have strong opinions about questions that matter to the city's lesbians and gays.
In November, voters will select either incumbent Mayor Robert Porter or challenger Beth Holland and will make two choices from the seven candidates running for City Council, including current office-holders Craig Covey and Joe Trice.
"My record speaks for itself," said Porter, elected Mayor two years ago after serving six years on Ferndale's City Council. "I've always been supportive of the gay community."
Porter said he endorsed the city's proposed human rights ordinance, narrowly defeated by residents in a vote in 2000.
"I have a hunch the human rights ordinance will come up again," he said. "I hate that we have to make laws to protect people. It should be a simple thing to treat everyone the same, but unfortunately, it's not."
When Motor City Pride, the annual LGBT festival once called PrideFest, moved to Ferndale, Porter said he welcomed the celebration to his city.
"I've endorsed and supported the PrideFest and I gave the opening speech there last year," he said.
Porter's opponent said she didn't support the Ferndale human rights ordinance when it came up for a vote.
"You can't legislate behavior. A better way to change people's minds is by being gracious," she said. "An ordinance is a divisive way of doing things."
A city law protecting gays' and lesbians' civil rights isn't needed in Ferndale and would be unenforceable, in Holland's view.
"I don't see anyone being discriminated against. If they were, I would be out there fighting in their defense," she said.
Council incumbent Craig Covey, who is gay, agreed anti-LGBT discrimination isn't a problem in Ferndale.
"We've made a comfortable safe community," he said. "By and large we've gotten to the point of gay people being accepted as neighbors. We are concentrating on making an even better community with more shopping and safer streets and better schools."
This term, Covey, who is endorsed by the Detroit AFLCIO, UAW region one and the Michigan Federation of Teachers, said he plans to vote for himself and for Jackie Koivu for Council.
Though Koivu is straight, she has been an active participant in Friends and Neighbors of Ferndale, an LGBT homeowners association and worked for passage of the human rights ordinance.
"People are people and I think everyone should be treated equally regardless of who their partner is or what their lifestyle is," she said. "I've been very active with the gay community. I've attended PrideFest and been very supportive of it."
Koivu is in favor of domestic partnership benefits for city employees.
"I think I will represent all residents well, including the gay community," she said. "I won't vote on something without studying it and voting my heart."
Council candidate Ken Miller, a 15-year resident, said he cast his ballot in favor of the human rights ordinance and was "enriched" by Ferndale's diversity.
"I feel that we all want a safe community with compassionate government and efficient services – a community that is tolerant and accepts our differences," he said.
Lifelong Ferndale resident Patricia Cissell thinks the current Council doesn't take citizens' questions and concerns seriously and wants more residents involved in the city government she would like to help lead.
"I'm a Born-again Christian and I do not believe the homosexual lifestyle is a Christian-type lifestyle. People are entitled to their beliefs and choices but there are certain areas I draw the line on," she said. "I don't support gay marriage being legalized, but there are some gray areas I think could be improved."
These gray areas include permitting gay and lesbian couples to list each other as next of kin when they are hospitalized and allowing LGBT people to have rights of inheritance for jointly-owned property, said Cissell.
"Those are only humane things," she said. "Most people don't have a problem with the gay and lesbian population as long as they are not out there militantly in your face promoting the gay lifestyle above other things that have to do with our city. The bottom line is, the sexuality of a person should be something that goes on in their own home."
Incumbent Council member Joe Trice helped draft the proposed Ferndale human rights ordinance.
"I also spoke up at Council. I said this is America and people who live here have the right to have their rights respected no matter who they are," he said.
Gays and lesbians don't face discrimination in Ferndale, in Trice's view.
"Maybe they did 10 years ago," he said. "However, if they were being discriminated against in any way or their rights were being challenged, I'd be the first to step up to the plate."
Trice said he was focusing his efforts on helping the entire community.
"I'm not catering to any special interest groups, including members of my own ethnicity," said Trice, who is African-American.
Mike Lennon said he hadn't seen many anti-gay hate crimes during his 25 years on the Ferndale police force and offered education as the appropriate cure for anti-gay acts.
Lennon was asked why LGBT residents should vote for him for Council.
"I live by the golden rule. Everyone gets treated equally," he said. "Your sexual preference is your business."
Council candidate Dawn Ptaszynski did not return our calls.
