Georgina Beyer n e W Ze ALA nd

Georgina Beyer was the first trans woman in the world elected to be a member of parliament in 1999

When Georgina Beyer won her seat in the New Zealand parliament it was reported as a surprising result because her constituency of Wairarapa is a conservative rural electorate, but she modestly said of her constituents, ‘It’s less of a reflection on me but a wonderful reflection on them.’

Born in 1957 in Wellington, Georgina is of Māori descent and was assigned male at birth. She left school at sixteen to pursue acting and in her twenties became a part of the Wellington gay nightclub scene as a singer and drag-queen performer.

Georgina was forced out of mainstream society and said of her community, ‘Many of us ended up down in the street sex industry scene, on the fringes of society, utterly marginalised. I’ve been brutalised and exploited; I’ve been pack raped. I’ve had to endure that kind of thing and it either kills you or it doesn’t.’

Georgina described her sex reassignment surgery in 1984 as a liberating experience. After that she forged a successful career as an actress, earning a nomination for the New Zealand film and television awards for best actress in 1987.

Georgina moved to Carterton, a farming area in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand, where she worked as a radio host and social worker aiming to improve the lives of rural children. Her activism put her on the path to politics and she was elected to the district council for the Labour Party in 1993. She was the first Māori to serve on that council and consulted with local Iwi (people) on behalf of the government for the first time in nearly 100 years. She was elected Carterton mayor in 1995, making her the first trans woman mayor in the world. She went on to win a seat in parliament and was sworn in on 10 December 1999.

In her maiden speech Georgina acknowledged her status as the first trans MP, and New Zealand’s role as a world leader, saying, ‘We need to acknowledge that this country of ours leads the way in so many aspects. We have led the way for women getting the vote. We have led the way in the past, and I hope we will do so again in the future in social policy and certainly in human rights.’

Georgina spent eight years in government. She was integral in passing the Prostitution Reform Bill in 2003, which decriminalised prostitution and promoted the welfare and safety of sex workers. Her speech citing her own experience of sex work was met by thunderous applause and is said to have changed three MPs’ minds, securing the majority needed to pass the bill.

During her political tenure, Georgina championed LGBT+ causes, including legalising same-sex civil unions. Outside of politics Georgina and partner Michael Hoggard danced the foxtrot on the popular New Zealand TV show Dancing with the Stars in 2005. After a period of serious ill health Georgina stepped back from politics, declaring, ‘My faith now lies with this younger generation to stand on my shoulders, just as I stood on the shoulders of those who went before me. I’ve done my bit to move the needle, now it’s your turn.’