Born and raised in Birmingham, he first came out as gay in 1998. His early teens were filled with taunting and bullying, which he described as a “daily gantlet.” He ran away from home. Prior to his junior year, he transferred to another school in search of a fresh start and did not reveal his sexual identity to classmates or teachers.
Mr. Rafferty attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham and joined the Marine Corps. While in the military, he avoided discussing personal relationships, although he was already in a relationship with his future husband. It wasn’t until he left the Marines a little over a decade ago that he became more open about his sexuality.
He was a staffer with Birmingham AIDS Outreach for nine years, working with young people and organizing HIV testing events across the region. He ran for the state legislature in 2018, becoming only the second openly gay legislator to be elected in the state. The first, Patricia Todd, occupied the same seat in Parliament in the Birmingham area before him. Upon her retirement, Ms. Todd said she was very proud of the Alabama legislature she helped block — measures she felt were harmful to LGBTQ constituents.
Mr Rafferty has also spent his tenure in the legislature trying to prevent new restrictions on gay and transgender youth. He testified against such proposals. He connected voters with Republican supporters of the measures in hopes of swaying lawmakers by making them more familiar with gay and transgender people and explaining the burdens they felt such legislation would cause. He brought medical experts and local organizers supporting LGBTQ youth to the Capitol.
When the bill went to Parliament, Mr Rafferty appealed to his colleagues on the basis of their conservatism, arguing that they had nothing to do with interfering in the decisions of parents, doctors and children. “Where is the freedom there?” he asked. “Where is there a small government?”
His efforts were welcomed by gay and transgender residents, who viewed him as an invaluable ally. “He’s gained a certain amount of trust from trans people, not just through his representation, but because he’s part of our wider community,” said Sydney Duncan, attorney and head of LGBTQ legal advice at the organization Mr Rafferty once worked for. “He’s taken the time to educate himself on these issues and that’s earned him a pass with us so he can represent us and speak to us and make sure we’re treated well.”