Laura Harmon

Laura Harmon
Personal details
Born 1986
Nationality Irish
Political party Labour
Alma mater University College Cork
Known for LGBT activism
Boards Higher Education Authority (2014/2015)

Laura Harmon (born 1986)[1] is an Irish LGBT activist and politician, with links to the Labour Party. She is a former President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). She was the first woman to fill the role in twenty years.[2][3][4]

A graduate of University College Cork, Harmon served as Vice-President for Equality and Citizenship of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) from 2012-2014. While in this role she co-signed a letter sent to Russia's ambassador to Ireland Maxim Peshkov, titled "Re: Torture of Russian LGBTQ* teenagers".[5]

Harmon would go on to become President of the USI and, in what was described as an "unprecedented move", USI later endorsed her 2016 candidacy for the Seanad.[6] During her tenure as USI president, Harmon played a prominent role in the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage.[7][8][9][10] Following this, she was made a board member of the Higher Education Authority (2014/2015)[1]

The Labour Party appointed Harmon as its Women and Equality Officer in September 2015, ahead of the 2016 general election.[1][11] She used this role to work on repealing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, in which she is also interested.[1][7] Harmon was a candidate for the NUI constituency at the 2016 Seanad election. She polled an impressive 4,663 votes placing her in the top five from thirty candidates. She announced her decision to contest the election on 2 March of that year and media reported her as having succeeded, the following 27 April.[7][12]

The eldest of five daughters born to Ted and Mary Harmon in the Gaeltacht of Ballyvourney, County Cork, Harmon is openly gay.[11] She was educated through Irish.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Conneely, Darragh (7 April 2016). "Laura Harmon Profile". Cork Independent. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "USI Congress 2014 Elects Laura Harmon as the new USI President". 2 April 2014. Archived from the original on 5 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Marnell, Ruth (3 April 2014). "USI elects first female president in 20 years". Archived from the original on 6 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Tyaransen, Olaf (15 September 2014). "Laura Harmon Interview". Hot Press.
  5. ↑ "Re: Torture of Russian LGBTQ* teenagers" (PDF). 7 August 2013. Article on this (Archive link to same).
  6. ↑ Heaphy, Edmund (16 March 2016). "In Unprecedented Move, USI Endorses Laura Harmon and Lynn Ruane for Seanad". The University Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 McTeirnan, Anthea (2 March 2016). "Former USI president Laura Harmon to run for Seanad". The Irish Times.
  8. ↑ "Majority Of Students In Favour Of Gay Marriage". 98FM. 20 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Ryan, Órla (18 May 2015). "There has been a HUGE surge in voter registration". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015.
  10. ↑ "Irish students' fight for marriage equality honoured". The Outmost. 27 October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016.
  11. 1 2 O'Byrne, Ellie (24 March 2016). "We need a Seanad with more diversity". Evening Echo. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Hayes, Isabel (27 April 2016). "Averil Power loses out to Lynn Ruane in battle for Seanad seat". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016.
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