Preceded by New DEA Residence Windsor, Belfast Constituency Balmoral Name Jeff Dudgeon | Nationality British Role Politician Party Ulster Unionist Party | |
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Alma mater Magee University College
Trinity College, Dublin Education Magee College, Trinity College, Dublin | ||
Political party Ulster Unionist Party | ||
Jeff dudgeon
Jeffrey Edward Anthony "Jeff" Dudgeon MBE is a Northern Irish politician, historian and gay political activist. He currently sits as a Ulster Unionist Party councillor for the Balmoral area of Belfast City Council.
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He is best known for bringing a case to the European Court of Human Rights which successfully challenged Northern Ireland's laws criminalising consensual sexual acts between men in private. He is one of three openly gay politicians elected to the City Council along with Mary Ellen Campbell of Sinn Féin and Julie-Anne Corr of the Progressive Unionist Party. He has also published a study of Roger Casement's Black Diaries, which accepted them as genuine.
In 1979 he stood as a Labour Integrationist candidate for Belfast South in the 1979 General election.
Personal life
He is originally from east Belfast and attended Campbell College then Magee University College and Trinity College, Dublin. He has a long term partner.
Honours
As part of the 2012 New Year Honours, Dudgeon was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for "services to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Northern Ireland".