Georgina Beyer, World’s First Openly Transgender Member of Parliament, Passes Away at 65

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – Georgina Beyer, a trailblazing New Zealand politician who in 1999 became the world’s first openly transgender member of Parliament, died Monday at the age of 65.

Beyer was elected to national parliament in 1999 after several years as mayor of Carterton, a rural town on the country’s North Island. Made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2020 for services to the LGBTQ community, she was known for her work in the legalization of civil unions and gay marriage as well as the decriminalization of prostitution.

Friends of Beyer said she died peacefully in hospice care. The cause of death was not immediately given, although Beyer had previously suffered from kidney failure and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017.

Beyer was a tireless advocate for LGBTQ rights and was a former sex worker, actor and drag queen. She was known for her work in the legalization of civil unions and gay marriage as well as the decriminalization of prostitution.

Beyer’s death has been met with an outpouring of grief from the LGBTQ community, who have praised her for her courage and commitment to equality. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Beyer “made history and made a difference” and that she “will be remembered as a pioneer who never gave up on her dream of a fairer and more equal New Zealand.”