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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.
Friends of Beyer said she died peacefully in hospice care. They did not immediately give a cause of death, although Beyer had previously suffered from kidney failure and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he didn’t know Beyer well personally but knew she had a large following within New Zealand and had made a lasting impression on the nation’s parliament.
“I certainly think that Georgina has blazed a trail that has made it much easier for others to follow,” Hipkins said.
Friend Malcolm Vaughan said Monday he was still with Beyer, who he had known for decades, and didn’t yet feel ready to talk about her life. He and husband Scott Kennedy instead put out a statement.
