A photo of Lucy Pegg holding a sign which reads "Dykes for trans rights"

The Young Greens is the youth and student wing of the Green Party of England and Wales. This summer, members of the Young Greens will be voting to elect a new executive. Bright Green is offering each of the candidates a chance to set out their vision.

Queer liberation in politics is about far more than marriage equality, rights to adoption and getting gay people in boardrooms. Those things are important – but the marginalisation of queer lives runs much deeper. As LGBTIQA+ Young Greens it’s our responsibility to sit at the forefront of the push for a radical queer politics. We’ve got to fight back against the deportation and questioning of queer refugees, keep LGBTIQA+ venues open across the country, make healthcare accessible for queer people and make sure trans people have the rights they deserve.

Putting queer liberation at the heart of the Young Greens means much more than running campaigns on LGBTIQA+ issues. We must thread queerness throughout the Young Greens’ work – that means ensuring we are inclusive both online and offline, that our events include LGBTIQA+ speakers no matter the topic, and that are policies reflect LGBTIQA+ experience. I want to make sure that the Young Greens do all we can to represent the diversity of the LGBTIQA+ community and make an active effort to recognise intersecting marginalised identities.

Recent Young Green co-chairs and execs have done a fantastic job of platforming LGBTIQA+ issues and standing firmly in support of the community. Their work is a brilliant point from which we can go further. Let’s get more LGBTQIA+ Greens leading the green movement, whether by running campaigns, taking on internal positions in the Green Party itself, getting elected to local authorities, or filling roles in other progressive groups. We can do this by encouraging members to apply for internal programmes like 30 Under 30 and Campaign School, and being an open door for advice and support. After all, why shouldn’t one of the next Green MPs be a young LGBTIQA+ green?

I’m so proud that the Young Greens have always stood in solidarity with the trans community – in fact, we’ve been one of the most vocal and unwavering voices for trans rights in the party. I have no doubt this will continue and as LGBTIQA+ officer would look for more opportunities to stand in solidarity with the trans community and trans members, working closely with the trans officer as much as possible.

Having been active in the Young Greens and other progressive groups since 2014, I have the experience and skills to make my time as LGBTIQA+ officer a success. I’m currently a city councillor in Oxford, having been elected in 2021, giving me valuable experience of leadership, campaigning, sitting on committees and representing communities. Before that, I was co-chair and a non-portfolio officer for the London Young Greens, delivering events, running action days and forging closer links between Young Greens and our elected members in the capital. I’ve also held roles on committees or university societies in Southwark, Nottingham and Brighton. I hope this breadth of experience will equip me well for success if you choose to elect me as LGBTIQA+ officer for the Young Greens.

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