Q Manivannan

Q Manivannan (born 1996 or 1997) is an Indian politician in Scotland. They have been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region since the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Manivannan was studying in Scotland, and does not hold British citizenship or permanent residency, but was eligible to stand for election following changes to the law in 2025. They are nonbinary, and are one of the first two openly transgender people elected to the Scottish Parliament.

Infobox

Born

1996 or 1997 (age 29–30) Tamil Nadu, India

Citizenship

India

Party

Scottish Greens

Alma mater

O. P. Jindal Global University (BA) Trinity College Dublin (MPhil) University of St Andrews (PhD)

References

The Edinburgh Reporter
https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2026/04/the-queer-tamil-immigrant-hoping-to-turn-edinburgh-green/
The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/msps-scottish-green-party-holyrood-scottish-edinburgh-b2973385.html
BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g82j03w94o
orcid
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5135-9430
"12th All India Conference of China Studies"
https://www.icsin.org/uploads/2021/01/13/b23b685ac5d7e3a9e08fdc3423a329c3.pdf
gtr
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2750730
Edinburgh Evening News
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/lib-dems-win-surprise-victory-in-fountainbridgecraiglockhart-by-election-for-edinburgh-council-5197508
BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2026/scotland/regions/S17000022
The Herald
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26091873.greens-celebrate-seismic-regional-list-success-edinburgh/
The Daily Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/09/trans-green-party-candidate-migrant-elected-holyrood/
The Times
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/q-manivannan-ian-blackford-green-party-student-visa-msp-pfknmr2c0
The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/home-office-shabana-mahmood-conservatives-scottish-tories-scotland-b2975051.html
Scottish Daily Express
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/malcolm-offord-burns-scottish-greens-37138618
The National
https://web.archive.org/web/20260509191608/https://www.thenational.scot/news/26092796.scottish-greens-hit-back-speculation-visa-status-new-msp/
BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0p9mmq2nlo
The Times
https://www.thetimes.com/article/4642e4a1-39a1-417d-a701-91ea5961443f?shareToken=79041c16f77388e014a17ce5f0d4c6f1
BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g82j03w94o
The National
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26091897.first-two-transgender-msps-elected-scottish-parliament/
"Who is the lonely queer Indian?"
https://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/queer-indians-lgbtqi-cisgender-loneliness-love-18176