Out Spotlight LII

Today's Out Spotlight is Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer was the world's first openly transsexual Member of Parliament, and served as an MP for the Labour Party of New Zealand from November 1999 until February 2007.

Georgina was born George Bertrand, a Māori, in 1957 in Wellington, New Zealand and spent the first four years on her grandparents' farm in Taranaki. She then went to move to Wellington to live with her mother, who had subsequently married Colin Beyer, a prominent lawyer and businessman. Shortly after leaving school she discovered Wellington's gay scene, and at 17 she was transgender.

Taking the name Georgina, she became a stripper and prostitute working in nightclubs and on the street. Later found herself in Kings Cross, Sydney, probably Australasia's most notorious red-light district. It was in King's Cross that she brutally gang raped. The incident pushed her to begin to change the course of her life.

Beyer returned to New Zealand and while continuing to work as a stripper and drag queen, she started to look for in acting with gradual increasing success. In 1984 she finally underwent sexual reassignment surgery. She received a nomination for best actress in the Guild of Film & Television Arts Award in 1987 and continued acting in film, TV, theatre and cabaret. She went on to work as a radio host in the town of Carterton. While there she began to take interest in local politics, first winning election to a local school board, and then being elected mayor of Carterton in 1995, which served as until 2000. Beyer became the world's first transsexual mayor. In 1999 she surprised many by winning the Wairarapa seat for Labour and become the world's first transsexual MP.

In June 2004, Beyer spoke at the UniQ: Queer Students Association national conference at Waikato University, Hamilton, where in a moving, speech she reiterated her support for the Civil Union Bill, although did not believe that gay marriage would be legal in New Zealand for at least 20 years, and expressed fear that gay and lesbian New Zealanders were facing the beginning of a turbulent time whereby their rights gained since homosexual law reform in 1986 would be questioned and attacked. She broke down while referring to the internal battle within herself that she had to face both with her gender identity but her ethnic identity in the House of Parliament.

In 2004, a bill in Beyer's name was written and introduced to Parliament. The Bill was intended to include "gender identity" as a ground under the Human Rights Act 1993, and thereby prohibit discrimination against people because of their gender identity. The bill had been Labour Party policy in the 1999 and 2002 election manifestos. It attracted controversy, but Beyer always maintained that it was simply ensuring basic human rights for transgendered people, and that it was only clarifying what either was or should have been the law already. In 2006 the acting Solicitor-General wrote a legal opinion that indicated that transgendered people were already within the ambit of the Human Rights Act, and Beyer was able to withdraw her bill. She said that this was legal authority that was "good enough for her".

Beyer retired from public office in 2007. She continues to speak and pursue her passions.

Beyer has been the subject of a book Change For The Better - the story of Georgina Beyer as told to Cathy Casey. Published in 1999 and it was reprinted again in 2002 by Random House New Zealand Ltd. There has also been a documentary about Georgina as well titled, Georgie Girl, that came out in 2002. Beyer also was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2005.


"It is important to allow people who want to be positive contributors of our society regardless of sex, race, creed and gender to reach their human potential. We need all human potential to make our communities thrive, to make them more vital, the very centre of our reason for being and living. The most important thing at the end of the day is about people, people and people!" - Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer - Cabaret

Georgie Girl - PBS POV


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