Neil Rafferty is an openly gay marine from Birmingham who just announced his bid for a seat in Alabama State House in District 54.
Rafferty made the big announcement on his Facebook page:
Nine days ago, I was approached by a dear friend who asked if I would consider running to fill the vacant seat for Alabama State House District 54. In the past week, I’ve spent many hours in conversation with family and friends, but more importantly, I’ve asked myself how can I best serve my community. On Friday, I traveled to Montgomery to complete qualifying paperwork to run. I look forward to expanding my lifetime of service as I announce my candidacy for State House of Representatives District 54. We are better together. Let’s get to work!
Rafferty is running for the seat being vacated by Democrat Patricia Todd, the state’s first gay legislator, who announced last month that she would not seek reelection.
Related: This former marine stole a truck to save Vegas victims, and just received this text from its owner
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Rafferty joined the Marines shortly after his boyfriend Michael Rudolph left for deployment.
Will Alabama make another historic decision and elect Rafferty as their first openly gay congressman? We’ll see!
Related: Former U.S. Marine talks about all those bro jobs that happen between ‘straight’ soldiers
Kieran
Thank you for your service.
Kangol
Good for him, I hope he receives lots of support from the Democratic Party and voters, and I hope he wins. I also appreciate his service to this country. Here’s a nice story on StoryCorps about how he was torn up having to hide his love for his partner, and finally came out to his mother, who knew, and accepted him and them.
Danny595
It’s great to see stories about patriotic, gay men leading and succeeding. More of this.
DCguy
So is your contention that the average lgbt person not patriotic?
Danny595
No.
Lacuevaman
DCGuy- is being a sh*tass your default self?
seaexpat
These days it seems as though everyone has a bad attitude. If ignorance is bliss “DCguy” must be in nirvana. Just because you choose to praise one stellar human being does not mean that you are denigrating all of the others. What a fool.
jkthsnk
If he’s running for Todd’s seat how is he the “first”? Are you really saying congress”man”?
Kangol
Yeah, their final sentence is confusing. If he’s running for the Alabama State House of Representatives, he’s not running for Congress. He’d become a state representative, i.e., legislator, but not a Congressman or Congressperson.
And if Patricia Todd is the first out Alabama legislator, Queerty should be clear by stating he’ll be the first out, gay male Alabama legislator, since that district has already elected an out lesbian, i.e., gay person.
DCguy
I noticed that too, if she was gay and he is gay and he’s running for her seat, how is he the first one?
Mr-DJ
Came here to ask that same question. If Todd was the first Gay legislator, how is Raffertty, who would be replacing her, also the first?
Andy
My thoughts exactly and he would not be the first LGBTQ person in the Alabama state house if he is seeking to replace Patricia Todd who is the first gay (Lesbian) holding the seat that he is aspiring toward, You need someone to edit these articles Queerty.
seaexpat
What a bunch of pathetic nitpickers. You need to get a life.
Notright
Thank you for your service sir. There is another hottie in California running for congress. You can find out who here. https://www.therainbowright.com/get-free-tactical-flashlight/. It was very nice to look at his instagram photos!
fur_hunter
I wish him huge success. But….a state that has the audacity to put up a pedophile, child molester rapist for a Senate seat and have an idiot like Jeff Sessions as a state rep…..well. What can I say? Maybe because Jones did win there and he has one sexy and handsome OUT gay son…maybe….just maybe the wheel is turning in the right direction.
captainburrito
Red states have blue districts.
seaexpat
Yes “captainburrito” red states have blue districts and blue states have red districts … DUH!!! Look at California, it is almost all red districts but it’s a blue state. Having been in Alabama for 1965’s historic Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery, I cannot say that I have fond memories of the state, a state that elected George Wallace for 4 terms as governor. Also, despite the 1967 Supreme Court decision that deemed anti-miscegenation laws (that banned interracial marriage) unconstitutional, Alabama was the last state to overturn their anti-miscegenation laws, and did not do so until the year 2000!!! All of that said, miracles have been known to happen.