Georgina Beyer died today.
Monday, 6th March 2023
Former mayor of Carterton and former MP for Wairarapa, Georgina Beyer, died today, aged 65.
The world’s first transgender MP and Mayor were just many of the mantles that the remarkable Georgina wore in her stride. She was true to herself and an inspiration to people struggling with their identity.
People with grit and integrity like Georgina make many of us sit up and take notice when they stand up in public and reveal the injustices our society metes out every day without thought. They risk all in the hope that they can teach us to be more understanding and open-minded. Georgina did this with strong oratory when needed, and style and grace at others.
Her time as a sex worker and drag queen gave Georgina the theatrical skills that endeared her to many. Never afraid to show emotion, she used those skills well in New Zealand’s longest-running theatre of drama, the bear pit of Parliament, which she disliked but endured to be true to her spirit.
Those of us who have lost family or friends to chronic illness will respect Georgina for facing-down her next battle which was with chronic kidney failure, and enduring a rigorous dialysis regime for the past ten years.
From the outset, Georgina was one of those sparkly diamonds who make Wellington the place to live. They fascinate us, they make us think about things, they make us laugh, they make us cry, and they make us proud that some of us can have an open mind. And, like diamonds, they are hard enough to endure the narrow-mindedness so that we might all be kinder to each other.
Thank you for your courage, sincerity and grit, Georgina.