Brenda Murphy

Brenda Murphy (born 1958 or 1959) is a Canadian activist and politician, who is the 32nd lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, since September 8, 2019.

Murphy is the first openly LGBTQ person to hold any viceregal office in Canadian history.

Career
She formerly served as a municipal councillor in Grand Bay–Westfield and served as the executive director of the Saint John Women's Empowerment Network in Saint John, best known for her advocacy on poverty and domestic violence issues. She served on a federal advisory council on poverty, and on New Brunswick's advisory council on the status of women.

Lieutenant-governor
Since September 8, 2019, she has served as lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. She is both the province's first openly LGBTQ lieutenant governor and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold any viceregal office in Canada.

In April 2022, the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick ruled that her appointment as lieutenant governor violated the bilingual status of the province under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, since Murphy is unilingual English-speaking. However in May 2024, the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick overturned this judgment.

Personal life
Murphy is an out lesbian and lives in Grand Bay–Westfield. Her partner Linda Boyle has accompanied her on official engagements, including a visit to King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in November 2022.