Aotearoa Antifascists mourn the great loss of Kuia Georgina Beyer MNZM JP (Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Raukawa, and Ngāti Porou). Our hearts open and we send aroha and karakia to her whānau and friends at this difficult time.

Georgina Beyer was a trailblazer. She was the first openly whakawahine/transgender Member of Parliament in the world. A powerhouse, committed to giving a strong voice to the communities she was involved in. A former actor, drag performer, sex worker, and radio host, she led transformational reform in legalising same-sex unions and in decriminalising sex work in Aotearoa.

“Beyer was an absolute inspiration” says Serah (she/her pronouns), a member of Aotearoa Antifascists. “Many transgender people grow up only too aware of endemic transphobia, and this can often lead to us hiding our true selves. But Georgina Beyer stood proud. Everything about who she was: tangata whenua; transgender; someone whose mahi was to uplift others - she put all of that forward proudly and without apology.”

In 2022 Beyer spoke out against Brian Tamaki's far-right ‘Freedom and Rights Coalition’, standing in support of the Love Community, Hate Fascism community demonstration.

Exactly 18 years prior, in 2004, Tamaki and the Destiny Church led an "Enough is Enough" march in protest at same-sex Civil Union legislation. Beyer had bravely stood along with other Civil Union supporters against abuse and physical threat, and spoke in a counter-demonstration against Tamaki.

She reflected: “But folks, we won that battle [...] Many of us have fought long and hard for many decades to gain the rights that we’ve earned in this place called Parliament. We have had to tolerate the abuse and violence and hatred - and we rose above it!”

She added: “you'll get a clear message that our country does not want the disharmony. You [Tamaki] wish to wreak havoc upon our country!”

Beyer brought hope to transgender people not just in Aotearoa but all over the world. And as we see a new surge in anti- LGBTQ+ sentiment & violence, particularly against transgender and gender non-conforming people, it becomes all the more important to carry on her proud legacy.

Following multiple high profile hate crimes against the rainbow community in the past year, we have now seen an attack on community members such as Medulla Oblongata (they/them pronouns), a drag queen in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

"We cannot afford to be complacent. We must make a decisive stand to show that queer people in Aotearoa are loved and belong in all spheres of community life" says Dave (they/them pronouns), a member of Aotearoa Antifascists.

Moe mai rā e te rangatira. Kuia Georgina Beyer, we remember you warmly with aroha, and we are both humbled and compelled to carry on the legacy of your staunch anti-fascist mahi.

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/ponekeantifa/videos/626071825702579/

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mps-vote-65-55-in-favour-of-civil-union-bill/YZHXXWPAFYI2OFDNOXQFLZMTA4/

https://www.windycitytimes.com/m/APPredirect.php?AID=19494

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/07/homophobic-antisemitic-graffiti-left-on-greymouths-pink-church/

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/469221/rainbow-youth-tauranga-drop-in-centre-destroyed-in-suspicious-fire

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/unhinged-conspiracy-theorists-auckland-drag-queen-targeted-in-avondale-library-protest-speaks-out/TE6BFUOXVJC6VFYMU4VAUAERTQ/

https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/08-12-2018/the-incredible-story-of-house-of-drags-medulla-oblongata

https://www.storyo.co.nz/stories/medulla-oblongata

© Scoop Media