Jayne Ozanne

Jayne Margaret Ozanne (born 13 November 1968) is a British activist, politician and evangelical Anglican. Having come out publicly as gay in 2015, she campaigns to safeguard LGBTQI people from abuse. Ozanne founded and launched the Ozanne Foundation in 2017 which worked with religious organisations around the world on prejudice and discrimination LGBTQI people. The Foundation closed in September 2025. Ozanne founded and previously chaired the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition. From January 1999 to December 2004, she was a member of the Archbishops' Council, the central executive body of the Church of England.

Early life and education Ozanne was born on 13 November 1968 in Barnstaple, Devon, England. She grew up in Guernsey, in a conservative and religious environment. She studied mathematics at St John's College, Cambridge, one of the first female undergraduates to study the subject at the college. She has been described as "one of the Church of England's most influential evangelical campaigners".

Ozanne has called for the anti-LGBT verses in the Bible to be looked at again. She believes that they have been misinterpreted, stating "Until William Wilberforce came along, many evangelicals fundamentally believed it was right to treat black people as slaves."

Ozanne is founder of the Ban Conversion Therapy coalition. In November 2021 at Middle Temple, Ozanne participated in a debate on conversion therapy with CEO of Stonewall Nancy Kelley and "gender-critical" barrister Naomi Cunningham.

Ozanne Foundation Ozanne is director of the Ozanne Foundation, granted charitable status in 2018. The Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes is chair of the foundation. Members of the board include Dr Jagbi Jhutti-Johal, Anil Bhanot, Ursula Halligan, Dilwar Hussain, Laura Janner-Klausner, Frederick Hyde-Chambers, Hannah Brock Womack, Revd David Mayne, and Revd Michaela Youngson.

Politics In the 2025 Guernsey general election, Ozanne stood as an independent candidate for the States of Guernsey. On 18 June 2025, she was elected a deputy with 6,197 votes. In July 2025, she became vice-president of the Committee for Employment & Social Security.

Honours On 22 November 2024, Ozanne was made a Doctor of the University of Kent. Professor Ben Cosh gave her oration and she then gave a speech in Canterbury Cathedral.

In December 2025, for her service to religion and the LGBTQ+ community, Ozanne was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours.

Personal life Having previously believed that being Christian and being gay were not compatible, Ozanne sought a deliverance ministry and underwent an exorcism. She also lived a celibate lifestyle,

Selected work