Zoe O'Connell

Zoe O'Connell is a British Liberal Democrat politician,[2] most notable for being a prominent campaigner for transgender rights.

Zoe O'Connell
Cambridge City Councillor, Trumpington Ward
Assumed office
7 May 2015[1]
Personal details
Political partyLiberal Democrats
Domestic partnerSarah Brown
Alma materBrunel University
OccupationPolitician
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
UnitRoyal Corps of Signals, Intelligence Corps

Political activism

O'Connell has been a prominent campaigner on transgender rights for a number of years, and has been regularly quoted in national publications on these issues. Her contributions include writing for publications including The Guardian and HuffPost about trans issues and experiences,[3][4] including calling for a greater focus on the safety and mental health of young transgender individuals. She has also criticised the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 for not going far enough to include transgender rights.[5] She is a member of the executive of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats[6] and has co-authored Liberal Democrat policy papers on both equality and on security.[7][8]

Outside LGBT rights, she has also campaigned on online privacy issues, such as opposing the Snoopers' Charter,[2] on other equalities issues including presentation of titles on driving licenses,[9] and on local issues such as urban speed limits and road safety.[10]

She was the Liberal Democrat candidate for Maldon in both 2015,[11] and 2017[12] finishing in fifth and third place respectively, making her one of a small number of openly transgender individuals to have run for a parliamentary seat in the UK (one of four in 2015, and one of nine in 2017.[13]) Currently, she is an elected member of Cambridge City Council, representing Trumpington ward since 2015, and is deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group.[1]

O'Connell is also a vice-chair of the Liberal Democrats' Federal Conference Committee,[14] which among other functions selects which policy motions can be debated (and thus potentially become party policy) at the party's federal conferences.

Personal life

O'Connell is herself transgender, and has attracted significant media attention for her polyamorous family life.[15]. She lives with Sarah Brown (herself a Liberal Democrat activist and former Cambridge city councillor), Sylvia (Sarah's wife), and a number of snakes.[16]

She has three children by her first marriage,[17] works in managing IT systems, and is a former member of the Territorial Army; she is also a keen rock climber and sailor.

gollark: matrix.osmarks.net inevitably occurred.
gollark: bees
gollark: * nine categories
gollark: Anyway, regarding memory use, the best way is OBVIOUSLY the osmarks.net thing where it has a graph with something like seven different categories of used memory.
gollark: Actual question: thus which?

References
  1. "Councillor Zoe O'Connell". Cambridge City Council. 4 September 2019.
  2. "Zoe O'Connell". Liberal Democrats.
  3. O'Connell, Zoe (12 October 2017). "Trans teens are being killed while we debate nonexistent problems". The Guardian.
  4. O'Connell, Zoe (15 July 2011). "CRB Checks and Trans Folk". HuffPost UK.
  5. "Lib Dems select trans candidate Zoe O'Connell". Pink News. 13 February 2015.
  6. "Executive". LGBT+ Liberal Democrats.
  7. Expanding Opportunity, Unlocking Potential: Equalities Policy Paper (PDF). Liberal Democrats. 2014.
  8. Safe and Free: Liberty & Security in the UK Policy Paper (PDF). Liberal Democrats. 2016. ISBN 978-1-910763-27-8.
  9. Starley-Grainger, Jill (2 May 2017). "Driving Miss Crazy: Britain's sexist driving licences". The Guardian.
  10. "Councillor buys speed gun to monitor Cambridge guided busway". BBC News. 29 June 2017.
  11. "General Election 2015: Meet the Maldon candidates". Maldon and Burnham Standard. 3 April 2015.
  12. "Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green and activist candidates for Maldon grilled by public at election husting in United Reformed Church, Market Hill". Maldon and Burnham Standard. 7 June 2017.
  13. Burns, Christine, ed. (January 2018). Trans Britain: Our Long Journey from the Shadows. Unbound. ISBN 978-1783524716.
  14. "Federal Conference Committee". Liberal Democrats. 16 January 2014.
  15. "This Marriage Survived The Husband Becoming A Woman". HuffPost UK. 27 December 2015.
  16. Barkham, Patrick (20 April 2013). "'Why three in a bed isn't a crowd' - the polyamorous trio". The Guardian.
  17. Barkham, Patrick (20 April 2013). "'Why three in a bed isn't a crowd' - the polyamorous trio". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
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