A young green activist born in the heart of republican west Belfast is to make history as the first transgender person to stand in an election anywhere on the island of Ireland.

Ellen Murray, who made the transformation from male to female, will represent the Green party in one of the most contentious constituencies in Britain or Ireland.

The 22-year-old is standing in West Belfast – her home constituency – an area dominated by Sinn Féin and once represented by the party’s leader, Gerry Adams.

Murray told the Guardian she decided to put herself forward because of the “continued homophobia blighting local politics”.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where gay marriage is still not legal. Unionist parties at Stormont, and particularly the Democratic Unionist party, have blocked legislation in the regional parliament aimed at making LGBT marriages equal in law. DUP politicians have also stirred controversy by denouncing homosexuality as being anti-Biblical and sinful.

Arriving at a Belfast hotel on a traditional black delivery-boy-style box bike, Murray admitted she had concerns standing for the Greens as an openly transgender young woman.

“Of course there were bullies both in school and more recently online directing abuse at me. Yet the surprising thing is that since I came forward about standing for election even some of the people who used to bully me at school have got in touch. They said that they want to work on my campaign and said they thought it was great I was going forward for election,” Murray said.



However, she said her greatest supporters since she won the nomination for the Greens were her parents. “My mum and dad fully supported me when I changed gender in 2013 and they are totally behind me in this election, as are my two brothers who also are going to campaign for me,” Murray said.

Born in the working-class republican district of Ladybrook – a one-time stronghold of the Provisional IRA – Murray said she had no concerns about canvassing in the area where she grew up.

“I’m actually looking forward to going around the old streets just as much as I am looking forward to canvassing for the Greens in every part of west Belfast, whether it’s the loyalist Lower Shankill or republican Lower Falls. The Greens will go to every area across the sectarian divide.

“The ordinary people are way ahead of some of the politicians up at Stormont when it comes to issues to do with equality. They are more liberal than the likes of the DUP who block every move towards equality for the LGBT community here. I have no problem rapping on doors seeking support all across west Belfast because I am certain the people will give you a fair hearing.”

The former Catholic grammar school pupil said she was part of a new post-war generation standing up for “a new kind of politics”.

Murray said: “I was only two years old when the first IRA ceasefire and then the loyalist ceasefire [1994] were both declared. Although it was a tough area, I grew up after the Troubles so many of the issues I want to address are not related to the conflict.”

The Green candidate works as a volunteer for a charity that looks after transgender teenagers and young people as well as their families. One of the reasons why she is standing for elections to the assembly is [to] raise awareness of the high rates of suicide and self-harm among younger transgender people.

“The statistics for suicide and self-harm in the transgender community across the UK are terrible and that includes Northern Ireland. A UK-wide survey of 3,000 people showed that 90% of young transgender people self-harm while 48% have considered suicide. These are the kind of issues none of the traditional politicians are talking about and in terms of the homophobic attitudes of certain parties at Stormont, matters here are even worse for younger transgender people who feel isolated and unequal.”

Murray will turn 23 on election day in May, making her also one of the youngest candidates standing for the regional assembly. She faces an uphill struggle to be elected, with Sinn Féin still dominating west Belfast and a new leftwing force, People Before Profit, also on course to take a seat in the multi-seat constituency. The Greens have one representative in the current assembly, its party leader, Steven Agnew.

Murray stressed her candidacy was also about much more than LGBT issues and that the Greens represent to her the “new kind of politics” she believes Northern Ireland needs.

She added: “I’m not just making history for being the first ever transgender election candidate anywhere on this island, I’m the first ever Green party candidate for west Belfast and that is an important milestone too.”