by Aoelln Kaplan
Carterton is a small, conservative town in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region. It also elected the world’s first openly trans mayor in 1995.
Georgina Beyer was the first female mayor and the first Māori mayor of Carterton, an accomplishment for both underrepresented groups. Being a trans Māori woman made her win revolutionary. But, she would go even further—in 1999, Beyer would become the first member of the trans community to be elected to New Zealand’s Parliament.
Of course, Georgina Beyer did not start out as a history-making politician. She was born in 1957 to a police officer father arrested for stealing and a mother training to be a nurse with whom she did not live until she was five years old. Beyer began wearing feminine clothing around that time and started hiding it at around eight years old when she realized her family did not accept it. At only age sixteen, Beyer left home and began living openly as a woman. Of course, the streets were not very welcoming toward a trans woman of color. To support herself, she performed as a drag queen, and later, as an actress, starring in “Jewel’s Darl” and several other productions. Eventually, she moved to Carterton, taught drama, and became a community center manager.
Her political career began on the Carterton District Council, though this was not without opposition. During her campaign, not everyone took her seriously, as trans people were severely underrepresented in politics. After the first election, many people assumed that she lost because she was trans, although she only lost by fourteen votes. However, she and many others did not see her identity as an issue. In the next election, she ran against five other candidates. She received approximately 50% of the votes, becoming the Council’s first Māori.
Beyer did not think she would win that mayoral election in 1995. Many people also thought she would lose. Nevertheless, she persisted, winning with an overwhelming majority of the votes, showing that, regardless of her identity, she could win the election and lead Carterton and her communities. Through the media Beyer discovered she was the first trans mayor in all of New Zealand, and later, the first in the world. However, she initially did not focus on the exceptional nature of her accomplishment—only on her duties as mayor. She referenced her past life experience in theater and on the streets to help her navigate her new position. In 1998, she won a second term with 90% of the vote.
Despite her mayoral win, she initially was not interested in running for Parliament. After being convinced to join the Labor Party (she was an Independent previously), she had to be convinced to run as well. The two opponents from her party withdrew their candidacies because she was such a well-known name. She ended up flipping her seat, supplanting the National Party incumbent. One of her biggest challenges in Parliament was in 2004, legislation was introduced to remove Māori claims to waterways and beaches. As much as she disagreed with this legislation, she was pressured by the caucus to vote for it. She ultimately abstained from the vote but continued to speak out about the legislation. Although she is no longer in politics, she still fights for change. She co-authored an autobiography, “A Change for the Better,” and she was the subject of the documentary “Georgie Girl.” She has paved the way for other members of the LGBTQ+ and Māori communities to get elected. She has hope for the younger generations and the much-needed change they can bring.
References
Rnz. (2021, June 10). Georgina Beyer on being Māori and Transgender in Parliament. Newshub. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/06/georgina-beyer-on-being-m-ori-and-transgender-in-parliament.html
Prager, S. (2020). Rainbow Revolutionaries: Fifty LGBTQ+ People Who Made History. HARPERCOLLINS CHILDREN'S B.
Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. (2020, March 31). Māori. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori
Watkins, G. (2013, January 21). other. Retrieved May 20, 2022, from https://www.pridenz.com/rainbow_politicians_georgina_beyer_profile_transcript.html