First two transgender MSPs elected
THE first two transgender MSPs have been elected to the Scottish Parliament.
Q Manivannan and Iris Duane have been elected as Scottish Greens MSPs on the Edinburgh and Glasgow lists, respectively. It marks the first time transgender MSPs will be in the Scottish Parliament, while the Greens are also on track for a historic result in Holyrood.
Celebrating their victory, Manivannan said: “I am a transgender Tamil immigrant. My pronouns are they/them. To some in this country, I am everything that the hateful despise, and I’m standing here as your MSP with care.”
Two other Green MSPs were elected in the Edinburgh and Lothians East region – Kate Nevens and Kayleigh Ferguson KinrossO’Neill. Over in Glasgow, where the regional results were declared just a short time later, Duane was one of two Green MSPs elected on the list, with former party co-leader Patrick Harvie also making a return to Holyrood.
Commenting, Duane paid tribute to Green activists across Glasgow and said she was “delighted” with the result.
“We have beaten Labour and, most importantly we have defeated the politics of division and hate from Reform,” she said.
Duane added: “This is a historic result for our city and for Scotland. “I know that some will focus on the fact that I am the first black MSP and one of the first openly trans MSPs, but that’s not what this election was about.”
She added: “Scotland needs radical change, and that is what the people of Glasgow have elected us to deliver.”