View source for Elizabeth Barker, Baroness Barker

{{Short description|British peer (born 1961)}}
{{other people|Elizabeth Barker}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name             = The Baroness Barker
| image            = Official portrait of Baroness Barker crop 2, 2023.jpg
| caption          = Official portrait, 2023
| office           = Member of the [[House of Lords]]
| status           = Lord Temporal
| term_start       = 31 July 1999<br>as a [[life peer]]
| term_end         = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1961|1|31|df=y}}
| occupation       = Politician
| party            = [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]
| alma_mater       = [[University of Southampton]]
}}
'''Elizabeth Jean Barker, Baroness Barker''' (born 31 January 1961), is a [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] member of the [[House of Lords]].

Barker was educated at [[Dalziel High School]], a secondary school in [[Motherwell]], Scotland.<ref>[[Who's Who]] 2008: London, [[A & C Black]], 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8555-8}}</ref> She studied at the [[University of Southampton]].<ref>Debrett's People of Today London, [[Debrett's]], 2008 {{ISBN|978-1-870520-95-9}}</ref>

Barker worked for [[Age Concern]] between 1983 and 2007. She was created a [[life peer]] as '''Baroness Barker''', of Anagach in [[Highland (council area)|Highland]], on 31 July 1999,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=55574 |page=8517 |date=6 August 1999}}</ref> and is a Liberal Democrat spokesperson on the Voluntary Sector and Social Enterprise.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://libdemlords.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/jim-wallace-announces-lib-dem-spokespeople-in-lords/ |website=Liberal Democrat Lords |title=Jim Wallace Announces Lib Dem Spokespeople in Lords |date=June 2015}}</ref>

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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/06/04/lib-dem-peer-baroness-barker-comes-out-during-equal-marriage-debate/ |website=[[Pink News]] |title=Lib Dem peer Baroness Barker comes out during equal marriage debate |date=4 June 2013}}</ref> She since became a Patron of Opening Doors London,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2501/experience |title=Experience for Baroness Barker - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament |website=members.parliament.uk |language=en |access-date=2020-02-17}}</ref> a charity which provided support for older [[LGBT]] people, and an Ambassador for the [[Albert Kennedy Trust]].

Barker is Co-Chair<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2501/appgofficerroles |access-date=2024-05-14}}</ref> of both the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS |url=https://www.appghivaids.org.uk |access-date=2024-05-14}}</ref> and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health |url=https://www.fsrh.org/news-and-advocacy/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-sexual-and-reproductive-health/ |access-date=2024-05-14}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliament |url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2501/appgofficerroles |access-date=2024-05-15}}</ref> She serves on the board of GiveOut, and LGBTI community foundation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GiveOut |url=https://giveout.org/who-we-are/ |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Elizabeth Barker, Baroness Barker}}
* [http://www.libdems.org.uk/shadow_ministers_detail.aspx?name=Baroness_Barker&pPK=12d51491-1c24-4122-9e27-bb067e4a8ae8 Baroness Barker] profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
* {{hansard-contribs |ms-elizabeth-barker|Ms Elizabeth Barker}}

{{Current Liberal Democrat peers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Elizabeth Barker, Baroness}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:English lesbian politicians]]
[[Category:English LGBTQ rights activists]]
[[Category:21st-century English women politicians]]
[[Category:Liberal Democrats (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:People educated at Dalziel High School]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Southampton]]
[[Category:LGBTQ life peers]]


{{Life-peer-stub}}