Slog Tipper Patrick points out an addition to the Morning News that I should have caught but didn't. Patrick says:

The city of Detroit could also use a mention for electing an openly gay man as city council president.

Very true, Patrick. I apologize. Openly gay former news anchor Charles Pugh will lead Detroit's City Council. I like him already:

The thirty-seven-year-old, self-proclaimed “Detroitaholic” traded in an anchor post at Fox 2, where he first announced his sexuality on air in 2004, to pursue politics.

After coming out, Pugh's celebrity has only increased. During the campaign he acknowledged that being gay added a wrinkle to his candidacy but added that he believed most Detroiters would give him a fair shake.

“I think there will be people who grumble about it and some people who may stay away from voting for me because of that, but I think Detroiters already know me,” Pugh said last month. “I believe Detroiters are open-minded, hardworking people who really do accept people who are different.”

“I'm focused on bringing a level of class and dignity and respect for the job that Detroiters want,” Pugh added.

It seems as though, after the defeat in Maine*, that it is a good idea to get as many smart gay people as possible into political office, and we took a few great steps in that direction last night.

Thanks, Patrick, for notifying me of my failure to highlight Pugh's victory.

* As someone who was born and raised in Maine, I'd like to apologize to the gays for their disappointing gay marriage results. The thing people underestimate when talking about my home state is that Maine is incredibly poor and Mainers often tend to hickishness. I often refer to Maine as "the south of the north." I wrote a little bit about Maine's supreme capacity for hatred over here a while back.