Elizabeth Jean Barker, Baroness Barker (born 31 January 1961), is a

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...

member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. Barker was educated at

Dalziel High School Dalziel High School is a non-denominational secondary school in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Overview James K. Scobbie, Rector from 1957 until 1974, greatly enhanced the school's performance during his tenure. Since then, the school ...

, a secondary school in

Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...

, Scotland. She studied at the

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

. Barker worked for

Age Concern Age Concern is the banner title used by several charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people (defined as those over the age of 50) based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom. I ...

between 1983 and 2007. She was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

as Baroness Barker, of Anagach in

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

, on 31 July 1999, and is a Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise. Barker revealed in a speech to the House of Lords that she was in a same-sex relationship during the passage of the

Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (c. 30) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which introduced same-sex marriage in England and Wales. Background Civil partnerships were Civil partnership in the United Kingdom, introduce ...

. She since became a Patron of Opening Doors London, a charity which provided support for older

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

people, and an Ambassador for the Albert Kennedy Trust. Barker is Co-Chair of both the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK. In the House of Lords she also serves as Deputy Speaker (since April 2024), as Deputy Chairman of Committees, and as Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on the Voluntary Sector. She serves on the board of GiveOut, and LGBTI community foundation.

References

External links

Baroness Barker
profile at the site of Liberal Democrats * 1961 births Living people Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II English lesbian politicians English LGBTQ rights activists 21st-century English women politicians Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers People educated at Dalziel High School Alumni of the University of Southampton LGBTQ life peers {{Life-peer-stub