To obtain a monomer having a large torsion force, to obtain a liquid crystal polymer which is excellent in a film-forming property, can easily control a helical pitch of a cholesteric phase, can form a grandjean orientation in a good monodomain state by an orientation treatment in a short time such as few minutes, and can stably fix it in a glass state, and to obtain an optical element having a circular dichroism, represented by the following formula (a), comprising a solidified product of the liquid crystal polymer, which is thin and light, is hard to change the oriented state such as pitch, etc., at a practical temperature, and has excellent durability and storage stability. An optically active monomer represented by (wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and A and B represent an organic group); a side chain type liquid crystal polymer having a structural unit comprising the optically active monomer; and an optical element showing a circular dichroism having a solidified layer of a grandjean oriented cholesteric liquid crystal phase comprising the liquid crystal polymer.