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Mahaffey to retire from Detroit City Council

Jason A. Michael

DETROIT – City Council President Maryann Mahaffey, who has served the citizens of Detroit for 31 years, announced last week that she plans to retire at the end of the year. The announcement put an immediate halt to her bid for an eighth term – she came in second in the August primary and was well on her way to reelection – and stunned her supporters. But the saddest news is why she's stepping down. Mahaffey, 81, revealed that she had been diagnosed with chronic, non-fatal, t-cell leukemia.
"My doctors are optimistic that this condition can be treated," said Mahaffey in a statement she released to the press. "But my prescribed course of treatment has taken away the energy necessary to fulfill my obligations as a candidate for public office."
Feisty and fiercely loyal to the poor and disenfranchised, gays and lesbians have long been among her greatest fans.
"Since her first campaign in 1974, she has never wavered in her support and commitment to advance the rights and protections of GLBT people," said Jeffrey Montgomery, executive director of the Triangle Foundation, on whose advisory board Mahaffey has served for about 10 years. "She has always been the courageous champion for GLBT issues at the council table and in the broader community."
"We're definitely going to miss her as an ally in our community and her help with our fight for equal rights," said Johnnie Jenkins, co-founder of the Black Pride Society, formerly known as Detroit Black Gay Pride.
"She's been one of the most visible allies that we've had. She's been unwavering in her support for our community," Jenkins said. "I definitely wish her good health."
In recent years, it was not unusual to see Mahaffey pop up at events such as Hotter Than July – Detroit Black Gay Pride or the Community Pride Banquet, where she passed out Spirit of Detroit awards. She has long had openly-gay staff members. She supported awarding domestic partner benefits to gay and lesbian employees in the city, and in 2001 she grilled Detroit police officers involved in a sting operation that unfairly targeted gay men in Rouge Park.
In 2004, Mahaffey came out strongly against the anti-gay Proposal 2, which amended Michigan's constitution to discriminate against gays who wished to marry. When reporters were not allowed to follow same-sex couples applying for marriage licenses into City Hall, Mahaffey left the council table and came outside to speak to them.
"As far as I'm concerned, people have a right to formalize their relationships and I think it's much ado about nothing," she said of the constitutional amendment. "I've known families who have been together for 53 years and they're gay."
Statements such as those made her much beloved by gay rights activists.
"For those of us for whom the word 'liberal' is not a dirty word, Maryann has always been an excellent role model," said Detroit resident and AIDS Partnership Michigan Executive Director Barbara Murray.
"It is difficult, if not impossible, to imagine city council and Detroit civic leadership without Maryann's strong voice and influence," said Montgomery. "City government and the sense of public service will be diminished as she moves on."
Support for gay issues on the council may possibly be diminished, too, though experts say it's too soon to tell. In addition to Mahaffey's departure, Councilwoman Sharon McPhail, another ally, will not be returning to the council. She forfeited her seat to run for mayor and came in third in the primary. Another ally, Councilwoman Brenda Scott, died following gastric bypass surgery early in the current term.
"Although we're certainly losing some gay and lesbian allies on the council, it does not mean that there will be a shift of gay and lesbian support," said Sean Kosofsky, Triangle's director of policy. "There are a number of folks who have filled out questionnaires that did a favorable job for Triangle/Pride PAC that should do very well in the November election. So it's too early to tell whether the incoming council will be better or worse [on our issues] but we are optimistic that the Detroit City Council will always be a very tolerant and welcoming place for our community."

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