World’s first openly transgender mayor and MP, Georgina Beyer, dies after suffering from long illness

Georgina Beyer, the world’s first openly transgender mayor and MP, has died after a long illness.

Beyer was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2013, which required constant dialysis.

The ground-breaking politician and activist passed away in her home country of New Zealand at 3.30pm local time on Monday.

Beyer has been surrounded by her close friends and family over the past week and had reportedly accepted her fate and was telling jokes right until the end.

There will be no funeral, but a memorial service instead – to be held at a later date.

Beyer was first elected to council in 1993, before winning the mayoral election in a landslide victory in both 1995 and 1998.

Nominated by Labour for the 1999 federal election, she won the seat from broadcaster Paul Henry, pulling off the biggest swing in New Zealand that year.

She was re-elected in 2002 and retired from Parliament in 2007.

Beyer’s election as the world’s first transgender mayor and MP attracted worldwide attention, and she featured in a number of high-profile interviews. #trending #featured