Detroit Mayor-elect Mike Duggan on
Tuesday included gays in his acceptance speech.
As Duggan, the city's first white mayor
in decades, takes over the city reigns, Detroit is looking for a
comeback after it emerges from bankruptcy.
On Tuesday, Duggan said success would
hinge on valuing the talents of every citizen.
“The way we are going to rebuild this
city is to value every single person in our community,” Duggan told
supporters gathered at the Marriott hotel at the Renaissance Center.
“It will no longer matter if you are black, brown or white. It
will no longer matter if you are Christian, Jewish or Muslim. It
will not matter if you are gay or straight. We want all of your
talents. You're all going to be equally valued and welcomed, because
only in that way will we rebuild the kind of Detroit everyone in this
city deserves.”
In an op-ed published in the Detroit
Free Press, small business owner Joe Posch applauded Duggan's
comments.
“Here in Michigan, where gay rights
have continually regressed for more than a decade, few places proudly
send the message that the LGBT community is welcome,” wrote Posch,
the owner of Detroit boutique Hugh. “Judging from the cheers that
accompanied Duggan's statement, Detroit is finally one of them.”