| Boris van der Ham | |
|---|---|
| Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 23 May 2002 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Boris van der Ham 29 August 1973 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Political party | Democrats 66 (Democraten 66 - D66) |
| Residence | Amsterdam |
| Alma mater | Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts (BA) |
| Occupation | Politician, actor |
| Religion | Agnostic [1] |
| Website | (Dutch) Democrats 66 website |
Boris van der Ham (born 29 August 1973 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch politician and former actor. On 23 May 2002 he has become a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Democrats 66 (Democraten 66), a social liberal party. In November 2006 he has also become vice-Parliamentary group leader. He focuses on matters of education, drug policy, culture, mass media, economic affairs, environment and energy, social equality, democracy and freedom of speech.
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Van der Ham studied history at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences before being admitted to Maastricht Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduation he worked as an actor for various theater groups. Van der Ham was a member of the Young Democrats from age 15. From 1998 to 2000 he was their chairman.
Together with members of GreenLeft and the Dutch Labour Party he drafted the bill that led to the first Dutch referendum in 2005 in two hundred years. It concerned the European Constitution. He drafted several bills for equal rights, for abolishing the ban on blasphemy in the Dutch Law, and a reform of the formation of the government. In 2007 he wrote a book Voortrekkers en Baanbrekers ('In the front row') about the role of the Netherlands in the European Union after the referendum of 2005.[2]
Since January 2010 he has a weekly vlog on YouTube about freethinking and liberalism.[3] On 9/11 2009 he made his first English spoken Freethoughtvlog [4] about the Ground 0 Mosque.
Boris van der Ham was raised a Remonstrant but turned an agnostic later on.[1] He is openly gay.