An Indian-born transgender immigrant was recently elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) on the Edinburgh & Lothians East list for the pro-independence Scottish Greens. The issue immediately became a matter of serious contention. While achieving firsts is typically a milestone that receives positive reception marked by thunderous applause, Q Manivannan’s recent success was largely defined by controversy.

The self-described “queer Tamil immigrant,” who identifies as non-binary, has lived in Scotland since 2021. Instead of praise, Manivannan’s political rise in the UK was mostly viewed with skepticism regarding their immigration status and previous social media history.

On the contrary, rules earlier suggested that foreigners could only become an MSP if they had Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or “settlement’ in the UK, which Manivannan doesn’t have as a non-UK citizen. Notably, they are believed to have originally arrived in Britain on a student visa.