Lily Madigan

{{Short description|British activist}}

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}

{{for|the fictional Neighbours character|Lily Madigan (Neighbours)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Lily Madigan

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|01|16|df=yes}}

| nationality = British

| party = Labour Party

}}

Lily Madigan (born 16 January 1998) is an activist within the British Labour Party.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/transgender-schoolgirl-solicitor-suspension_uk_5800a8dae4b0010a7f3e6647|title=Transgender Schoolgirl Threatened With Suspension For Wearing Female Clothes|date=2016-10-15|website=HuffPost UK|language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}}[//www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/lgbtq-community-members-share-messages-and-support-for-lesbian-visibility-day-38054325.html LGBTQ+ community members share messages and support for Lesbian Visibility Day], Independent.ie, 23 November 2019 She was the first openly trans woman to hold the position of Constituency Labour Party Women's Officer, having been elected in November 2017 by the Labour Party in the constituency Rochester and Strood.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/trans-teenager-lily-madigan-voted-in-as-a-labour-women-s-officer-mwchkhzq8|title=Trans teenager Lily Madigan voted in as a Labour women's officer|newspaper=The Times|last=Bannerman|first=Lucy|date=20 November 2017|access-date=1 December 2017}} Madigan's election as a Women's Officer was controversial within the Labour Party.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/26/transgender-anarchist-book-fair-transphobia-row|title=UK transgender rights row intensifies as book fair is cancelled|date=26 November 2017|work=The Guardian|accessdate=1 December 2017}} A complaint by Madigan alleging transphobia against women's officer Anne Ruzylo was not upheld, but led Ruzylo to stand down.{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/42167494/lily-madigan-i-want-to-be-labours-first-transgender-mp|title=Lily Madigan: I want to be Labour's first transgender MP|work=BBC Newsbeat|date=1 December 2017|accessdate=1 December 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://talkradio.co.uk/news/lily-madigan-labour-womens-officer-aiming-becoming-britains-first-transgender-mp-17120821875|title=Lily Madigan: The Labour women's officer aiming to becoming Britain's first transgender MP|date=8 December 2017|work=TalkRadio.com|access-date=13 Dec 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214014750/http://talkradio.co.uk/news/lily-madigan-labour-womens-officer-aiming-becoming-britains-first-transgender-mp-17120821875|archive-date=14 December 2017|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/lily-madigan-im-a-transgender-teen-agitator-imake-an-ideal-labour-womens-officer-2ctxksngx|title=Lily Madigan: I'm a transgender teen agitator; I make an ideal Labour Women's Officer|date=26 November 2017|newspaper=The Times|access-date=1 December 2017}} In 2019, Madigan was elected the national women's officer for Labour Students.{{Cite web|url=https://labourlist.org/2019/03/rania-ramli-elected-labour-students-chair-as-corbynsceptics-sweep-to-victory/|title=Rania Ramli elected Labour Students chair as Corbynsceptics sweep to victory|date=2019-03-07|website=LabourList|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-04-24}}

In 2016, Madigan took legal action while at St Simon Stock Catholic School, after the school made her wear a male uniform, continued to use her deadname and denied her access to female toilets.{{cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/10/15/school-threatens-to-suspend-trans-student-for-wearing-female-uniform/|title=School threatens to suspend trans student for wearing female uniform|work=PinkNews|last=Bereford|first=Meka|date=15 October 2016|accessdate=14 November 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-kent-37915011/maidstone-transgender-teen-lily-madigan-begins-treatment|title=Maidstone transgender teen Lily Madigan begins treatment|work=BBC News|date=8 November 2016|accessdate=1 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lily-madigan-labour-party-transgender-officer-mp-young-abuse-threats-a8225771.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lily-madigan-labour-party-transgender-officer-mp-young-abuse-threats-a8225771.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Lily Madigan: Meet the woman who wants to be Labour's first transgender MP|work=The Independent|last=Oppenheim|first=Maya|date=24 February 2018|accessdate=14 November 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-kent-37915011/maidstone-transgender-teen-lily-madigan-begins-treatment|title=Transgender teenager begins treatment|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-12-10}}

Following Madigan's election as Women's Officer and around the time of Madigan's application to the Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme, five critical articles were written about Madigan in The Times.{{cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/12/05/trans-teen-lily-madigan-begs-the-media-and-anti-trans-activists-to-stop-attacking-her/|title=Trans teen Lily Madigan begs the media and anti-trans activists to stop attacking her|work=PinkNews|last=Butterworth|first=Benjamin|date=5 December 2017|accessdate=14 November 2018}} Madigan was rejected from the programme, but the articles in The Times were condemned by 55 activists involved in the programme who applauded the party for "supporting the principle that every woman" should get the chance to participate. Signatories included Labour MPs Rosie Duffield and Preet Gill.{{Cite news|url=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/11/29/jo-cox-womens-leadership-scheme-rebukes-the-times-over-attacks-on-transgender-teen/|title=Jo Cox women's leadership scheme rebukes The Times over attacks on transgender teen|work=PinkNews|access-date=2017-12-10|language=en-US}} These incidents led to Madigan receiving online abuse.

Madigan attended the University for the Creative Arts, at which she ran the LGBTQ+ liberation group, as well as the women's liberation group, and was Campus Executive Officer. The students' union put out a solidarity statement with Madigan, commenting on the attention she received in the media.{{Cite news|url=https://ucasu.com/2017/11/an-open-letter-in-solidarity-with-lily-madigan/|title=An open letter in solidarity with Lily Madigan|work=UCA Students' Union|access-date=2017-12-09|language=en-gb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029194721/https://ucasu.com/2017/11/an-open-letter-in-solidarity-with-lily-madigan/|archive-date=October 29, 2020|url-status=dead}} In 2018, Madigan was listed as one of Teen Vogue{{'}}s "21 Under 21".{{cite web|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lily-madigan-21-under-21-2018|title=21 Under 21: Lily Madigan's Political Moxie Is Fueled by Bigots' Attention|work=Teen Vogue|last=Diavolo|first=Lucy|date=5 November 2018|accessdate=14 November 2018}}