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State House Candidate Mike McFall Says LGBTQ+ Community in Michigan ‘Must Have a Seat at the Table in Lansing’

Jason A. Michael

Hazel Park City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFall announced this week that he’s running for State Representative in Michigan’s 8th House District, which encompasses Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Highland Park and parts of Ferndale and Detroit.

“As a councilmember and current mayor pro tem, I’ve always been deeply invested in my community and I want to be a strong voice for progress,” McFall said in announcing his candidacy. “I want voters to be inspired to believe that their vote truly counts and that together we can change the state for the better.”

McFall and his husband moved to Hazel Park in 2017, and he was elected to the council two years later. McFall is also a member of the Hazel Park Arts Council and the Hazel Park Downtown Development Authority, where he spearheads the Main Street Hazel Park Initiative.

“I’m excited to take my local experience to Lansing,” said McFall. “It’s easy to forget the things that affect our everyday lives when you haven’t worked in your community.”

A Flint native and son of a GM employee and proud UAW member, McFall put himself through college. He attended Central Michigan University and earned a bachelor of science degree in community development and public administration. McFall now works in development for the Williams Syndrome Association, a national nonprofit based in Troy.

McFall said his platform is focused on working for skilled trades, increasing entrepreneurship, fixing a broken system of municipal finance and helping tackle issues like addiction, incarceration and the mental health crisis.

“I faced a turning point in 2020,” McFall said. “My family, like many families, had a mental health crisis, and the difficulty of finding someone to help was a complete shock to me. Our poor mental health system is the root of many of the issues our state faces, from homelessness to drug addiction, and I realized I couldn’t help fix it all from Hazel Park. I needed to be in Lansing.

“I think there are some simple solutions that we are missing,” he continued. “[Things] such as expanding affordable care options like virtual visits and funding mental health staffing in law enforcement.”

If he makes it to Lansing, McFall told Pride Source he will always consider the needs of the state’s LGBTQ+ community.

"We must have a seat at the table in Lansing where the decisions are being made that directly impact our lives. If we want change, we have to make it happen for ourselves. And helping get LGBTQ+ candidates elected is how we do that."

One priority of McFall’s, he said, is to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

"It’s time to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and codify protections for our community.  We must be able to live our lives without fear of discrimination. The LGBTQ+ citizens of Michigan deserve better and these protections cannot continue to be in limbo."

McFall said he believes change is possible.

“I believe in this state, I believe in this district, and I believe that we can do better,” he said. “I want to lead that change.”

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