Amita Kuttner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amita Kuttner
Interim Leader of the Green Party of Canada
In office November 24, 2021 – November 19, 2022
Preceded by	Annamie Paul
Succeeded by	Elizabeth May
Personal details
Born	(1990-12-04) December 4, 1990 (age 34) North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Political party	Green

Amita Kuttner (born December 4, 1990) is a Canadian scientist and politician. They served as the temporary leader of the Green Party of Canada from November 2021 to November 2022.

Kuttner first ran for a seat in the Canadian Parliament in 2019. They later ran to become the permanent leader of the Green Party in 2020. Amita Kuttner made history as the first transgender person and the first person of East Asian background to lead a national political party in Canada.

Amita Kuttner's Early Life

Amita Kuttner was born in North Vancouver, Canada. They identify as non-binary and transgender. This means their gender identity is not strictly male or female, and it differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. Kuttner uses they/them and he/him pronouns.

Their mother, Eliza Kuttner, taught computer science. She was an immigrant from Hong Kong. Kuttner's father moved to Canada from the United Kingdom. Amita Kuttner went to a school where they learned in French.

In 2005, a sad event happened. A mudslide hit their family home, and their mother passed away. Their father was badly hurt but survived. Kuttner was at boarding school in California when this happened. They later faced challenges because of this difficult experience.

Education and Science Career

Amita Kuttner went to the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). There, they earned a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics. Their studies focused on black holes in the early universe.

Kuttner was part of a group called Women in Physics and Astronomy. They also helped start a group called 314 Action at their university. This group aims to help more scientists get elected to public office in the United States.

Kuttner and 20 other scientists signed a letter in the journal Science. They supported young people protesting for climate action. They wrote that they "approve and support their demand for rapid and forceful action."

Amita Kuttner also co-founded the Moonlight Institute. This non-profit organization looks for ways to deal with the climate crisis. In 2021, they spoke at an event about solving climate issues.

Political Journey

In the 2019 Canadian federal election, Kuttner was a candidate for the Green Party. They ran in the area of Burnaby North—Seymour. They finished in fourth place, getting almost twice as many votes for the Green Party as in the previous election. From 2018 to 2020, they were the Green Party's spokesperson for Science and Innovation.

Kuttner also ran in the 2020 Green Party of Canada leadership election. During this campaign, they chose not to hold fundraising events with former leader Elizabeth May. Kuttner felt that other candidates had unfair advantages. They finished in sixth place in the leadership race. In 2021, Kuttner shared that they had reported issues of unfair treatment during the campaign.

After Annamie Paul resigned, Amita Kuttner was chosen as the temporary leader of the Green Party. This happened on November 24, 2021. At 30 years old, they became the youngest person to lead a national political party in Canada. They were also the first transgender person and person of East Asian heritage to do so.

Soon after becoming interim leader, Kuttner said they wanted to help the party grow and heal. The party was facing financial challenges and had lost many donors and members. Kuttner believed that disagreements within the party had affected donations. They later said the party's finances were improving.

The party's rules say that a new permanent leader must be chosen within two years. Kuttner has stated that they do not want to be the permanent leader. They suggested that the party should wait longer before starting the search for a new permanent leader.

In September 2022, Kuttner was mistakenly referred to with female pronouns during a Green Party online meeting. Kuttner said this made them feel "hurt and isolated." They felt it was part of a bigger problem within the party. The party president later resigned, saying she was unfairly blamed for the mistake.

Election Record