A tribute to Debo Ballard

Stonewall staff, volunteers and founders would like to express our sorrow at the death of Debo (Deborah) Ballard, Stonewall’s co-founder and first Company Secretary, at her home in Ireland on March 16th, 2026.

Debo, a practicing solicitor in 1987, was one of the first lesbians to join Stonewall as it was being created in 1988 and launched in 1989 in response to the passing of Section 28 of the Local Government Act, the first regressive law against lesbians and gay men in the UK in a century. She  joined us from the Arts Lobby, the group which had the most mainstream impact in highlighting the iniquities of the legislation, and had previously been on the Board of the recently created London Lesbian & Gay Centre. She is remembered for her warm smile, her positive attitude to creating change and her support for lesbian inclusion and queer family rights.

Debo later moved to Ireland, where she became a central figure in the emerging LGBT movement of the 1990s and 2000s, in journalism and social activism.

Stonewall also remembers Peter Rivas and Peter Ashman, also co-founders and key movers in the creation of Stonewall and in implementing its unfailing commitment to equality and human rights, who have previously died. Thirteen of the original 16 1989 founders remain.