Neil Rafferty

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Neil Rafferty (born c. 1985 in Birmingham) is a former U.S. Marine who represents District 54 in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Rafferty grew up in Birmingham and was active in the Boy Scouts of America and Anytown Alabama. He graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in 2003. He began dating Michael Rudolph, a U.S. Marine and enlisted himself when Rudolph was deployed for a third tour in 2005, serving during the Global War on Terror with deployments and training in Israel, South America and East Africa. He later attended UAB on the G.I. Bill. He co-founded the UAB Student Veterans Association and graduated with a bachelor of arts in English and political science in 2010.

Rafferty volunteered as a health educator and counselor for UAB's 1917 Clinic and the Spirit of Luke Charitable Foundation. From 2011 to 2013 he worked as a membership services representative and transport coordinator for MedJet Assist. He later joined Birmingham AIDS Outreach as a testing coordinator and has held a variety of positions there. He and Rudolph are married and reside in Crestwood.

Rafferty ran for the House seat left open by Patricia Todd's decision not to run for re-election in 2018, and was endorsed by her in the Democratic primary. In the legislature he serves on the Sunset Committee, Health Committee; Economic Development and Tourism Committee; and the Transportation, Utilities, and Infrastructure Committee. He chairs the Democratic House Caucus Platform Committee and also serves on the Alabama Challenge Veterans Suicide Task Force, the Opioid Overdose, Addiction, and Treatment Council, and the 988 Implementation Study Group.

During the 2022 Alabama legislative session, Rafferty delivered a strong condemnation of two bills which criminalized gender-affirming medical care for minors, required schools to designate restrooms and changing rooms by biological sex at birth, and prohibits any discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school classrooms. Both passed and were signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, but have since been challenged on constitutional grounds.

Rafferty was a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Birmingham.

Preceded by:
Patricia Todd
Alabama State Representative, District 54
2018–
Succeeded by:
'

References

  • Marusic, Kristina (January 27, 2017) "Two Marines In Love: “You Were Willing To Go To War And Possibly Die To Be Sure That I’m Okay”." NewNowNext
  • Mzezewa, Tariro (April 24, 2022) "For Alabama’s Only Gay Lawmaker, a Political Defeat Was Deeply Personal." The New York Times

External links