People

Georgina Beyer is a remarkable woman. It’s no accident that her life has been the subject of an autobiographical book, a documentary and soon – a feature movie.

Born a boy named George in Wellington, New Zealand, Georgina’s early life was tumultuous. In the process of finding her way in the world Georgina had to navigate the sex industry of the 70’s and 80’s, and come to terms with a brutal rape. Not one to be deterred, Georgina finally got the sex change surgery she needed in 1984 and went on to have a successful acting career. In the last decade Georgina’s life has taken a political turn – first elected to local government, she became Mayor of Carterton in 1995 before being elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1999.

Though Beyer’s dreams had always been about acting and becoming a complete woman, in many ways it was courage in the face of adversity, her innate sense of fairness and inexorable outspokenness that led her into politics. ‘It was 1991 and the Conservative Government had just handed down a budget that was very harsh on welfare recipients,’ she explains. ‘At the time I’d just moved to a small town, and wasn’t working myself and I ended up advocating on behalf of those worst affected.’

It was the success of this advocacy and her tireless work ethic that got Beyer elected to Council and then Mayor. Then, against her own and other’s expectations, Beyer won the seat of Wairarapa with a massive swing of 32% to Labor. But that wasn’t the only remarkable feature of Beyer’s win – in taking up her seat she made the history books as the world’s first transsexual MP.

‘I never wanted to be a role model,’ reflects Beyer, ‘but there was no visibility, no others around at that time, so I thought “oh well”.’

While Beyer is modest about the significance of her achievement – ‘I tell people that I put the hairline fracture in the glass ceiling that others after me have shattered,’ she says –  life in politics wasn’t easy. Her outspoken and unapologetic pursuit of a progressive reform agenda often landed her in conflict with vitriolic conservative groups and sometimes her own party. These challenges, particularly the personal attacks she endured during and immediately after the 2005 election, combined with frustration at having to censor everything she spoke in public eventually led to Beyer announcing her retirement from Parliament in 2007. She didn’t leave with a whimper though, delivering her valedictory speech in trade mark style, ‘while I have relished the opportunity of being a member in this House, I am glad I do not possess one.’

In her wake, Beyer left a trail of considerable achievements, including Prostitution Law Reform and the passing of Civil Union legislation. She also proved herself a formidable political strategist, sparring with conservative lobby groups, and patiently engaging in lengthy internal negotiations that ultimately resulted in a public declaration assuring the rights of transgender people under New Zealand’s Human Rights legislation.

It is evident that Beyer was and remains very much ‘for the people,’ and the people are aware of it. At the conclusion of her speech at the Human Rights Conference in Melbourne, conference delegates from her home country broke into a spontaneous Maori chant followed by a beautiful a cappella song. ‘I can’t explain it,’ she says. ‘When I started out I was “Georgina the tranny”. And then at some point, I became “just Georgina”. When my opponents would try to use my past to discredit me, there’d be no need to defend myself – the next day Mrs Conservative from my electorate would have written a letter to the newspaper saying “don’t speak about our Georgina like that!”’

‘It seems I am genuinely loved,’ she adds, ‘People will come to me like we are old friends… I think it’s because I was always honest. Even if, for example, I’d vote on something differently to how my electorate my wished me too, I’d be honest about it, absolutely upfront. Tell them no, this is how I voted, and this is why.’

Now, however, in something of an ironic consequence of quitting the political career that so often muzzled her, Beyer is relatively voiceless in the public sphere. That doesn’t mean she is any less interested in the future of New Zealand however, and she is worried about the direction the country seems likely to take. She thinks it is likely that the current Government will not be reelected later this year, and fears that many of the hard won reforms in policy and legislation may be gradually wound back.

In contrast, Beyer, fresh from being a featured speaker at the Asia Pacific Outgames Human Rights Conference in Melbourne, believes Australia is on the cusp of great opportunities for progressive reform, and thinks it is time for activists to seize the moment in pushing for change.

As for her own future, ‘Who knows?’ she muses, ‘If the conservatives get in at the next election, I may just have to move to Australia.

And if that were the case, New Zealand’s loss would most certainly be Australia’s gain.

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