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Tēnā tātou. Tēnā tātou i rangi i kaupapa a Georgina. Nō reira nō mai haramai. Welcome everybody. My name is Kevin Honian and I'm here on behalf of Tīwhanawhana Trust to help open this particular [00:00:30] occasion to celebrate Georgina. Nō reira nō mai haramai. Um, before we begin, I just wanted to say that we'll, we will open with a Kara here, um, and then Tana will perform a couple of, uh, items just to get the ball rolling and to welcome you here. Uh, and that will be the, our, our bit until the end of the, the program.[00:01:00] [00:01:30] Koia rā, e rongo, whakairi ake ki runga kia, tēnā, haumi [00:02:00] e hui e, kia ora tātahi. a tātou rangatira kua huri ana e. Ngā mihi mai ohā ki a koutou e. Tēnā rā koutou, tēnā rā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Aue, aue, e weire ki tēnei [00:02:30] te putu o te tapu. Kaura rā, ka takata a tai me tūraki atu a takata kiuna.[00:03:00] [00:03:30] [00:04:00] [00:04:30] [00:05:00] [00:05:30] [00:06:00] [00:06:30] te aroha me te mahi tahi. Kua ike nga wangata. Titiro mai ki taku [00:07:00] pōhikere, Ki taku aloha. Kia mau. Kia mau te aroha me te mahi tahi. Kia reke nga wangata, Ki tiro mai ki taku ko, Reinei, Ki taku [00:07:30] aloha! Kia rete! Garete, mau, ki rato Whoo! Tēnā[00:08:00] koutou katoa Good evening, ladies and gentlemen A warm welcome to you all here at the Embassy And, indeed, to this, the Grand Theatre I'm Malcolm Kennedy Vaughan, and it's an honour and a privilege to be your MC for this evening's proceedings. [00:08:30] I'd like to thank Kevin Hanui and Te Whanau Whanau Maori Performing Cultural Group for a very, very welcoming karakia and performance here this evening. Also, a very special welcome To all of our VIP guests down here in the front row. I want to thank you all for your [00:09:00] time and commitment as we celebrate a true icon of our rainbow community not only here in Aotearoa, New Zealand but on the global world stage. I first met George in the mid 1970s on his first arrival in Wellington. George was employed as a night porter at the Royal Oak Hotel in Dixon Street, where I was a waiter in the restaurant, and my flatmate, [00:09:30] Rion McKenzie, was the maitre d We all formed a very close working relationship. Little did we know that we would have an endearing friendship that was to last over 50 years. Georgie soon moved into our flat at number 20 Bullard Street. Life was never the same again. [00:10:00] Rion, after we finished work at the Royal Oak Hotel, was a male stripper and entertainer at the Club Exotic in Vivian Street. And after work, pubs used to close at 10pm in those days, we'd all head home, throw on the drag rags, and we'd hit the bright lights of Vivian Street. I know. Which inevitably always ended up at [00:10:30] the Club Exotic, followed by Carmen's International Coffee Lounge. Georgie was born, Georgina was here. Originally Georgina was employed at the Club Exotic as the Comedy Queen, a title that she absolutely loathed. But it didn't take her long. To make her mark and earn a place in the solo ranks. In 1979, Georgina and [00:11:00] her best friend, Dana DePaul, sought greener grass and made the move to Sydney, Australia. On an evening out on King's Cross, Georgina was pack raped by a group of four men. The Sydney dream was over. And in September the same year, Georgina returned to New Zealand. and the bright lights of Auckland. In October of 1984, [00:11:30] another New Zealand icon, the wonderful and talented Nicole de Valle, launched her all male review, Bloomers, at the Staircase Nightclub on 4th Street in Auckland, of which Georgina was a founding member of the troupe. It wasn't long before they secured a contract, a permanent contract, nightclub in High Street. Dazzling costumes, trick photography, [00:12:00] and, uh, stunning gorgeous queens ensured Alfie's was packed to the roof every weekend. Georgina remained with Bloomers for four and a half years. Then it was time for a change. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the life and times of Georgina Byrne. The world's first openly transgendered mayor and [00:12:30] member of parliament. A trailblazer. A woman who fought for the marginalized. A strong supporter. of prostitution law reform to decriminalize workers in the sex industry. And a strong supporter of same sex, uh, same sex civil unions and marriage equality. Join us as we take you on a journey. [00:13:00] of Georgina's life. We're going to see a short video now from the 1970s and the 1980s. It is now my pleasure to invite our first guest speaker to the lectern tonight to reflect on Georgina from that era. She's been a member of the Greymouth District Council for six years, a member of the Human [00:13:30] Rights Review Tribunal for nine years, a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Until it was superseded by her next award as an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Could you please welcome to the stage the tranny granny herself, the fabulous Jackie Grant.[00:14:00] Kia ora everybody. I must say it's just so wonderful to see so many people here to celebrate one of the icons. And we don't have that many icons in our community so, you know, good for you all to be here. It's an honour and a privilege to be speaking. When Malcolm rang me and asked me to speak, I thought, Oh God, where the bloody hell does one start? [00:14:30] How does one speak about a great orator and do her justice? That force of nature that was and still is Georgina Byer. When I sat down and started to write a speech. Because unlike Georgina, I, I can't speak for two hours without taking breath and no notes. Um, she could, but I can't. But it started me thinking, I'm on my 80th trip around the sun, and my friends [00:15:00] might say I'm just about approaching my second childhood. So how on earth will I want to say about Georgina? Then I had a light bulb moment. I went to the warehouse and bought some puberty blockers thanks to Brian Tamaki. So, thanks for that recommendation Brian. Um, I'm sure you made the warehouse a lot of profit. [00:15:30] I'm sure Georgina would want me to acknowledge a long line of rainbow pioneer politicians who preceded her and helped pave the way for hers and future generations to take up the mantle. Brave people who put their necks on the line for the betterment of our rainbow community. And they weren't all rainbow people either. It is fitting that we, and extremely [00:16:00] important, that we acknowledge those people while celebrating Georgina's own unique achievements. People like Ven Young in 1974, who was not successful with Law Reform. However, the train had left the station. And success, although some years away, was inevitable. The activists like the Homosexual Law Reform Society, who for many years debated the issue, and built up [00:16:30] support for a law change against the rhetoric of some of the vilest people that were on the political scene at that time. And people like Norman Jones spring to my mind. Vile, vile, bloody man. Fran Wild was successful in 1986. And not long after that, we had our wonderful Chris Carter. First openly gay out MP. [00:17:00] Charles Chevelle. And then of course, the king of New Zealand gay royalty, Tim Barnett. Followed by so many others. Then came New Zealand's first transgender MP, Georgina Beyer, who launched her career with a memorable speech about stallions. As I [00:17:30] said earlier, this is my 80th trip around the sun. So for my generation, this was all incredible stuff a lot of us thought we would never see. Thinking back to a time when if you gave your boyfriend a blowjob, you could be jailed for 8 years. A sentence that could be increased to 16 years if the said boyfriend screwed you. And that was not the worst of it. There were murders, bashings, police brutality, [00:18:00] and even worse for many of us was the rejection from families. Something our Georgina knew only too well. Nicole Duvel related to me recently how Georgina struggled with that rejection, how she reached out to her family in Wellington, the countless visits to her father's office in Wellington, and his refusal to even talk to her. She wasn't on her own there. The psychological effect [00:18:30] on so many was and still is something that is too hard to bear for our community. Think about the lost opportunities for our older trans community in education and employment. I knew a trans person back in the 1960s, admittedly in Australia, wasn't too different here. She got a job in a fish and chip shop and never told the employer she was trans. A customer sprung her to the [00:19:00] boss, who then rang the police. She was given three months in prison for doing, you know, wanting a job. You get three months in jail because she was in drag. I know for our rainbow community today, it is hard to imagine all this in today's world, but it is something I'm sure, or I know, Georgina understood. And I'm equally sure examples like these help shape her political path. And [00:19:30] you heard Mel talk about the rape in Australia and, and, you know, it's a pretty hard road to, to hoe sometimes. I'm also Georgina New. What we have gained during that hard battle can easily be taken away. She knew the value of sensible, rational debate from the inside. Carried far more weight than throwing juice at a nobody in a park in Auckland. [00:20:00] It is sad to see our Rainbow MPs falling by the wayside lately. Something in my mind that doesn't bode well. But anyway, I first heard about Georgina in the early 80s. When she burst on the scene with her acting roles, and I'm sure, like many other people, did. And participation in different shows, like Carmen's Balcony and Alfie's. And I thought then, this is a queen to watch. She is going [00:20:30] places. And how right I was. In 1989, Georgina's and my paths first crossed. When we both delved into local body politics. We both stood in by elections for our local councils, Georgina and Carterton, and myself and Greymouth. We both won. Next local body elections, we both stood for the mayoralty. [00:21:00] That bloody bitch won and I lost by a hundred votes. But I did get to stay on the council. Georgina had made history. The first transgender mayor, and in a rural, conservative community. It was around that time, I was in the North Island on my way to Napier. So I swung by Carterdon, called into the council building and asked if [00:21:30] Georgina was in. The receptionist said, no she's not in, but she just lives around the road, here's the address, pop in. You know, nothing like the Privacy Act back then. I found her house and Georgina gave me a warm welcome. I distinctly remember saying to her, I can't stay long as I'm on my way to Napier. Anyway, six hours, eight suitcases of newspaper cuttings, photos and videos later, I finally escaped. [00:22:00] I was in awe. She had every picture and every clipping and every video from day one of her various careers. She was an orator with an incredible memory. She could make a speech lasting an hour with no notes. could forget her maiden speech or her performance on Parliament steps during the Destiny Church's little demonstration fiasco, her[00:22:30] speech during the prostitution debate. And most of all, the respect she received from the YRAPA community who put her on the map politically. Our Georgina was human, she wasn't perfect, and she had quirks. More than a few, actually. Some that can never be mentioned outside of the sisterhood. One I can talk about, though, is told to me by Nicole Duval the other day.[00:23:00] Georgie had gone up to Auckland for a big gay out. By the end of the day, a little more, more than a little under the weather, she arrived at Nicole's house burbling on how she'd bought some brown biscuits from someone on the roadside, which she produced from her handbag. And being the wonderful hostess that she is, Nicole plated those biscuits, brownies, I mean biscuits, and put them with their cuppa. After their [00:23:30] cup of tea, Georgie announced she had to go out on the town. She couldn't sit still, she had ants in her pants. When she was leaving, she suddenly shot back to the lounge, she got to the door, shot back to the lounge, picked up the biscuit plate, dumped the whole lot in her handbag, and took off. They must have been some very special kind of biscuits. If anyone's got any, my address is Sock World, Hokateka. Anyway, [00:24:00] when Carmen passed away, I had the honour of delivering her eulogy. And at the end, I called for a standing ovation to see the diva on her way. Hopefully that started a tradition. So I think it's fitting we do the same here today for Georgie. So let's be upstanding and give her the ovation she rightly deserves.[00:24:30] [00:25:00] There Georgie, that's one of the biggest claps you've had for a long time. Thank you everybody. Thank you so much. Alba, second speaker this evening is a gentleman who worked closely with Georgina. On an up and coming musical based on her life story. [00:25:30] Could you please welcome actor and playwright, Mr. Brian Aitken. Kia ora tātou. Yes, it's been a sort of little secret for the last three years that I've been working on a musical based on Georgina's life. You may be wondering why senior Pakiha has been writing about a [00:26:00] transgender Māori, but we do have a lot in common in theatre. I'm an actor, director, writer, tutor, and was in Wellington for many years in radio drama in the early days of downstage theatre and then the Court Theatre in Christchurch was formed and I went home and um, helped set up the original company. I was approached to [00:26:30] write this musical a few years ago and created a scenario, a three page scenario because Georgina wanted to sanction it, of course. And so I laid out what I thought was her life from her book, from online interviews, and [00:27:00] so forth, and Created a storyline about a human being who had an incredible journey. We talk about a trailblazer. I think she was more than that.[00:27:30] So I created the scenario with places where songs might be, where some of the major scenes would happen, little bit of dialogue. She loved it. And I started writing. But it seemed rather dry. Her book, A Change for the Better, I thought was straight narrative. And so we started to [00:28:00] talk by telephone, and whenever I came to Christchurch for work, uh, to Wellington for work, I would take her out and we would sit and talk. I needed to understand the human, the person that had suffered. She was rejected by her family, by her iwi, by her adoptive family. And I wanted, I needed [00:28:30] to tell that story. Otherwise it would be a singing documentary. And that, I felt, wasn't good enough. So we talked a lot. I probed. She demurred. I probed more, because the songs needed to be [00:29:00] substantial. If you're writing about someone who was still alive, writing about someone's journey, writing about someone who changed things for people today, it needed to be real. And so, bit by bit, I was able to uncover the human. At the [00:29:30] moment, it's written for three people to play her. The twelve year old boy, the teenager into the twenties, and then the transgender and the public life. What did I want it to be? I wasn't sure. I thought, what don't I want it to be? Okay, this is not [00:30:00] Priscilla Queen of the Desert. This is not La Cage aux Folles. This is not Kinky Boots. It's an ensemble based piece. There's no chorus line. It's a modern piece of musical theater. So I have written the lyrics to 23 [00:30:30] songs composed by Roger Buchanan here, who is the composer. And all the scenes that link into and out of Georgina's story. The very weekend she died, we were in Ashburton of all places, laying down the demonstration tracks to four songs, looking for funding, minister.[00:31:00] So the, she got to read three versions, and when Malcolm and Scott were.. Unloading her large container. They came across to the original scripts. She kept everything.[00:31:30] I have two song lyrics I want to narrate to you today. Um, and one of them is the very moan moment which turned her life around when she was in Sydney and um, was gang raped.[00:32:00] How do you deal with this? How do you put it on the stage in a musical? So I have a split scene. There's lay girls on one half of the stage in a dark alley on the other side. And she's drinking there with the boys and smoking a bit of dope. And things are happy and they discover she's not what they thought she was.[00:32:30] Through choreography these two scenes merge and she's thrown into a, she's gang raped and put on the spit and thrown into a heap like a rag doll. The guys melt from the scene and Georgina's left lying on the ground lips bleeding at the bottom of the lay girl's tableau. A wreck in the middle of theatrical beauty. The scene [00:33:00] behind her fades. How did this happen from a chat and a drink? I'm making good money and working legit. No, I'm discarded like a piece of shit. I'm better than this, you would think. Will I always be on the margins of life? I work long hours, a legitimate job. Why doesn't anything ever go right? I'm better than this. You would think, [00:33:30] is it some form of punishment doled out by men when they discover, feel taken in, I try to be respectable but end up a sperm receptacle, oh why doesn't anything ever go right? Am I naive to think that it might? I'm doing my best, I don't ask for strife, will I always be on the margins of life? I only ever [00:34:00] sought acceptance, only ever wanted to be understood, accepted by my family. Not shunned, despised, rejected. Now, I've hit rock bottom, I'm totally at sea. The end of all I've known, who I'm trying to be. Keep seeking consolation from others like me. But no one has the answers to this confusion. Oh, please, when you've hit rock bottom, [00:34:30] is it time to give up? And I've hit rock bottom, I've bloody had enough. This won't become my lifestyle. I'll make a change for good, become a whole person, embrace my womanhood. I'll build my life anew. This life I've led is over. Back home I will start afresh. No more the restless rover. A real job, a real woman, real people in my life. I want my life to [00:35:00] count for something. People seem to be my thing. To hell with all this shameless bling. I'll show the world I'm not a thing. I'm a human and worth everything this damn world has to offer. I only ever sought compassion. Only wanted to be seen as me. Accepted. Loved. By my family.[00:35:30] We were talking about the lack of love in her life. We were sitting down here, and I asked her about that in an early draft, someone said to me, Brian, it's a musical, there's no love songs, and I said, [00:36:00] no, that's the tragedy. And when she was elected Mayor of Carterton, there was a street scene, and there's a photo of her with the bone comb in her hair, the Heru. Which was given to her by a young Maori carver. He stopped her in the street and gave it to her and said, I work with my [00:36:30] hands, you work with your heart. And she placed it in her hair. She looks up, she had a great rapport with her, Nenan. And she says, is this what you meant, Nenan, all those years ago? Be who you were meant to be. Well, I've [00:37:00] become the woman I finally knew I should be. But will there ever be that special someone to share it all with? And she sings. Is this the price of simply being me? Is this the cost of living comfortably? I beat the odds. They said I'd never win. But now I feel so right at home in my skin. I'm someone I [00:37:30] never thought I'd be. But I see couples walking hand in hand, gazing at the stars, toes in the sand. In silence they say nothing. Their eyes reflect their loving. And in each other's hearts they share their love. That's simply not for me. Will I ever know what love can feel like? Ever know what love can mean? I've always [00:38:00] felt the answers inside me More than a vessel I can be Someone, somewhere, please Find me Lovers there have been But only just a few Guys have come and gone But that's nothing new Never got much love Affection I can't show And when it comes my way I never seem to know Will I live [00:38:30] there never knowing? You. I talked to her about that. And she said, Brian, I have been hurt so much in my life. I got to the stage where I emotionally shut down so no one could ever hurt me again. What an indictment for a human being to live [00:39:00] their life by. Finally, her words. When she's running for the wire wrapper seat. Challenge your democracy, be brave, make things better. Be leaders of this world of ours, as friends, not safe and bitter. Stare your detractors in their eyes, [00:39:30] have the courage to stand up and say what you believe in. If you earn your keep and pay full taxes, then when you're on the line, it's what happens here and here. Humanity should define. Thank you. Thank you, Brian. I think it's that [00:40:00] time. What would a show be without a show number? The performances this evening have been selected. From Georgina's vast repertoire that she has performed herself. Could you please welcome to the stage, the hometown girl, Dungood. Now a resident in Melbourne, Australia. Could you please welcome, the fabulous, Polly Filler. Wow, [00:40:30] come on, fantastic, Polly Filler. Wow, I think we're gonna see, uh, Polly a little bit later on this evening in the show. But right [00:41:00] now it's time to talk about politics. In the early 1990s, seeking a breakaway, a breakaway from the hustle of Bright City Lights, Georgina moved to Carson and the wire wrapper where she became involved in a little bit of a local community members doing arts and performance. This eventually led to her being a counselor on the Carter District Council. for a number of years. Towards the end of [00:41:30] 1994, it was suggested that she ran for the mayoralty of Carterton. And in 1995, she was duly elected as the mayor. We were due to have his worship, the mayor, um, Ron Mark from Carterton. Unfortunately, due to family illness, Ron cannot make it. But we do have the Deputy Mayor of [00:42:00] Carterton. Could you please welcome to the stage, Dale Williams. Kia ora mai tatou. Koutou ko ingoa, Dale Williams. Uh, tumuaki tua rua o konehera Taratahi. My name's Dale Williams. I'm the Deputy Mayor of Carterton District Council and I [00:42:30] really want to.. Uh, send a really sincere apology from His Worship, the Mayor, the Honorable Ron Mark. He's devastated he couldn't be here tonight. He, uh, goes back a long way with Georgina and he shared a lot of stories and information, uh, about Georgie that he asked me to pass on some, those that I could, uh, to you here tonight. I, um, [00:43:00] I first got elected to a council back in 1995, last century, and, uh, you couldn't possibly have come into the local government family without knowing. All about Georgina Byer, and about who she was, and what she stood for, and the type of person that she was. And you could just tell that she was destined for remarkable things.[00:43:30] As a mayor of Carterton District from 95 to 2000, I just, interesting watching the, uh, the video clip, and Mr. Paul Henry, well, I think he was expecting to have romped into that seat at the time, but, uh, I can tell you, Georgie smashed him. And, uh, and it wasn't about the issues that he was talking about, and it was the same when Georgie was elected [00:44:00] to Carterton District. Yes, Carterton is a very conservative, Small rural community, but it's also progressive in a lot of ways. Progressive in that it values integrity, honesty, uh, hard work. And when Georgie got elected, she got elected because she was loved and respected. And capable. Extremely capable. And you know, she could, she could be in a room with [00:44:30] people whether they were, um, old or young, rich or poor. It didn't matter anything about that person other than what the issue was and that they were being cared for and respected by the leader of a community. Which is something that, um, plenty of leaders of communities could take a leaf out of Georgina's book. She certainly created a lot of firsts in Carterton District, as was said before. She was the [00:45:00] first female mayor of Carterton District. She was the first Maori mayor. of Carterton District. And she most certainly was the first transgender mayor of Carterton District. And some of the things that Ron asked me to, to pass on, the things that he admired particularly about Georgina was that she was extremely independent. She lived life on her own [00:45:30] merits and didn't carry favour from anybody or anything. She expected to be taken by the people for the person she was, not for, um, uh, you know, any, any favors or any credit for anything. She was quite conservative, Ron said, which I guess was really useful in a small conservative rural community. But she was an extremely hard worker, and Ron particularly admired her [00:46:00] resilience, her courage, her strength, and particularly her down to earth nature. And as has been said before, there's a lot of legacies around Carterton District that are reflected back to Georgina Byer. One particularly is the Daffodil Festival, which is an annual event. 10th of September, ladies and gentlemen, coming up. Thank you very much. She was a staunch advocate for the Daffodil Festival. Now it may seem a bit twee for some, [00:46:30] uh, but for a community like ours to have an annual event to celebrate the, the wonderfulness. of flowers and of beauty. Um, it really, it really reflected well on Georgina herself. Recently, in a new subdivision in our community, uh, Mayor Ron, uh, unveiled the Georgina by our way. You can see the sign on the stage.[00:47:00] Thank you, and it was a wonderful ceremony, and I really want to acknowledge all the friends and whanau of Georgina who came over the hill to Paradise and helped us, uh, helped us unveil the sign. And, you know, Councillors, we talked about it afterwards and we said, you know what, we anticipate we'll be replacing that sign quite regularly. In fact, we expect it. And Georgina herself, [00:47:30] in knowing that, would laugh. She'd think that was hilarious. Just, finally, uh, uh, you know, Georgina has created a wonderful legacy. Within Carterton district and when I talk to people on the street recently saying I was coming down here and the love and affection and appreciation for Georgina's contribution to our district [00:48:00] stands her in really good stead. The people are, uh, thrilled that she was part of our community and always will be. After the election in 2022. Georgina graced us with her presence at the inauguration ceremony in the swearing in. And my daughter's 12 years old, and she came along to the ceremony, she tapped me on the shoulder at one point and said, Dad, that lady over there, she's in the [00:48:30] book I'm reading. And my daughter got the book, Our Wahine. And was reading, she said, that lady's in the book. And I said, yes, that's Georgina Byer. And she said, do you think I could have a photo, a picture with her? And I said, well, go and ask her. And of course, Georgina, not just a photograph, but she got down and she talked to my daughter about a whole lot of things. And afterwards, my daughter, she was absolutely star truck, struck. She came up to her mum and I and said, I just want to be like that lady. [00:49:00] And I thought, what a wonderful, a wonderful accolade. Because as a father, nothing would make me more proud. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Oh, thank you Dale. Fantastic. Very sad that Ron could not be [00:49:30] here this evening. I do want to add though that, um, the Cardigan District Council are going to be making a statue. of Georgina Byer. It'll be, uh, going into War Memorial Square in the centre of Carterton. Watch out for a fundraiser. In 1999, Georgina was approached by Sonia Davies and [00:50:00] the Prime Minister at the time, Helen Clark, to stand for the Labour Party in the Wairarapa electorate. After much to ing and fro ing, Georgina finally accepted the offer, and the rest was history in the making. Georgina was fearless and stood her ground, taking on the best, or in this case, probably the worst. But she always left her mark. Let's go to a little bit of a enough is enough.[00:50:30] I'm happy to stare you in the eye. Why do you hate people like us? Be real Christians. I've known much more. and charity from other people than what I've seen from you deny[00:51:00] law abiding New Zealand citizens who happen to have a difference the same rights as yourselves? How dare you use the cloak of Christianity when you are imparting to your children prejudice, [00:51:30] discrimination toward people like me, gays and lesbians, and other people who live differently, but abide the law and pay their taxes. Why do you do this to us? Um, when the 8000 arrived at Parliament, uh, to protest against civil unions, um, it was a dark day, I feel, and the rest of the country seemed to feel so too. The [00:52:00] imagery they presented that day, um, was, uh, reminiscent of scenes from Nazi Germany, and general public were horrified, frankly. I would defend their right to protest, absolutely, um, but I stood on those steps for the two or three hours that they held their rally in front of parliaments holding the rainbow flag. Joined by other members of Parliament, Sue Bradford, Sue [00:52:30] Kedgley, um, Tim Barnett, Chris Carter, various others came out to support me as I stared them down from the steps of Parliament. Um, at one point, I just lost it. We had 150.. Approximately of our supporters, um, who were pro the Civil Union Bill, and they had been surrounded, uh, by the 8, 000 Destiny Church people, and they were abused, they were jostled, they were [00:53:00] shoved, and I could see all of this happening from the steps. Uh, when they finished their rally, I wanted to immediately run straight down to them. They were all gathered around the seventh statue in front of Parliament. Uh, but such was the abuse that I received that my minder, for want of a better term, Ramon Maniapoto, said, hey, hey, hey, come back behind the barriers, which I did. At that point, I was so angry, I suppose, I marched across the forecourt of Parliament yelling [00:53:30] out loudly, why do you hate us so much? What is this? What is this that you're teaching your children, this hatred towards us? It's not right. And words to that effect. I was yelling, which I seemed like a screaming banshee, because they had a sound system the Rolling Stones would have been proud of. So I was trying to shout over that so that they might hear me. That ended up on the news that night, and many of our rainbow people[00:54:00] around the country Went to hallelujah, our voices there to stare down this great adversity we were facing from these people. One of the proudest moments in my parliamentary life, I have to say, sorry for getting a bit emotional about it, but it was significant. And of course, uh, civil unions came to pass and then [00:54:30] was followed. What, less than ten years later, by Louisa Wall's presentation of marriage equality to the country. And considering the venal debate that happened over civil unions throughout the country, marriage equality managed to slip through, uh, pretty well supported from within the parliament, and more importantly, uh, from a majority of New Zealanders. You see, with patience and perseverance, [00:55:00] The country, by and large, will come on board because they can see all we want is equality. We are of no harm to anyone else. We just want to enrich our own lives with equality. And it has been for the better of New Zealand that we have been able to make positive contributions to our country and to live lives that are far more liberated than when I was young.[00:55:30] Wow. Sure is after a mark. Our next speaker this evening is a gentleman who needs no introduction at all. Could you please welcome to the stage, the Minister of Finance, Mr Grant Robinson.[00:56:00] Kia ora, Tēnā koe Mel. Can we just give a big round of applause for Mel. What a fantastic job he's doing. My first encounter with Georgina was not at Parliament. It was in New York in the early 2000s. I'd like to claim we were an incredible drag act, uh, taking, uh, New York by storm, but it's not true. I was a junior diplomat [00:56:30] representing New Zealand at the United Nations. Despite this day job, I had been a bit involved in the Labour Party at home, and I knew of Georgie. Who didn't know of Georgie. The story has been told a million times, including a little tonight. The journey from the streets and the clubs of Wellington to the TV screens and then to sleepy old Carpenton. And to being the stallion who became the gelding who became a mayor as Georgie delighted in telling everybody. And when she got to Parliament had come full [00:57:00] circle to be a member. It was still one of the greatest lines. Up in New York, we got wind that Georgina was coming through town as the fairly new MP for Wairarapa, and as we knew, the first transgender member of parliament in the world. I remember explaining to an American colleague that it was like a transgender person becoming the senator for Nebraska. They said to me that that would never happen, [00:57:30] and I said, you've never met Georgina. I don't remember a lot about that visit 20 or so years ago. I do remember Georgie being a little bit awestruck by her surroundings. But in every meeting, in every engagement we had, she was on. Calm, resolute, clear. It wasn't anything other than for me to see that as enormously brave. But she didn't actually [00:58:00] like that label at the time. She wanted to be judged and valued for the work that she did. But I know the massive effort that went into ignoring the stares and the derogatory remarks and to rising above and to being authentic. It was impressive. A star was born, although that had happened many years before. Back in New Zealand, Georgie got into the work of being an MP, and there are others here tonight who were MPs with her who can give you a much [00:58:30] better idea of how she went about that work. But I was a staff member in Parliament by that stage, and there were a couple of moments for me that I want to share with you. The first of those is the day that Brian Tamaki and his mob came to town for the Enough is Enough rally to protest against the satanic scourge of civil union. Georgina, as you saw, her blood boiled. This was outright bigotry. It is actually [00:59:00] hard to describe to those who weren't there exactly what that day felt like. Thousands of mostly men, largely dressed identically in black t shirts and black trousers, marching down Lampton Quay, their fists angrily punching the air, shouting that enough is enough. It wasn't exactly clear what was enough, but it was clear who the target of the march was, as Georgie said. Every one of us in the rainbow community. It was incredibly scary and confronting, [00:59:30] and as you saw and heard, Georgie was enraged. She was enraged, she told me, partly at the large number of Māori in the crowd and those purporting to be Christians. There was a smallish counter protest, and as well as the group she described standing on the steps of Parliament. I was with her and we were clutching the rainbow flag. We were frightened and upset. Georgie was fucked off. After a period of time, as [01:00:00] you heard, she said, I'm going down there and I'm going to look them in the eye. And she just set off, at pace, towards the front of the band crowd. I didn't realise, Ramon, you were the minder. Terrible job at that point. We didn't know what to do. I remember thinking she might get killed. I really mean that. We hurtled off after her, no doubt in a very butch manner, clutching our flag. I was close enough to hear Georgie berate the crowd asking, as you heard, how they could call themselves Christians [01:00:30] with their acts and words of bigotry and hatred. She walked along the front of the line and did exactly what she said she would do. She looked them each in the eye. It was thrilling, frightening, and courageous all at once, and it made a difference. The images that appeared on TV that night of Georgina, as she said, were an enormous boost to the campaign for civil union. The Tarmacky process had the effect of turning out votes in our favour. Tim Barnett gave those [01:01:00] of us in the campaign jobs to lobby MPs. I had two on my list, one of who was meant to be here tonight, who turned their votes. Based on what they saw that day. I've always said Brian Tamaki gave us civil unions. I also say, in all seriousness, that Georgie did too. Her bravery, her courage, her sense of right and wrong, and fairness and justice.[01:01:30] The second moment I want to talk about is prostitution reform. And there are others who will be able to tell you much more about this from the front line. But as someone who worked alongside.. Georgie and this campaign. Georgie was responsible for the most electric moment I have experienced in Parliament, either as a staff member or in the 15 years I have been an MP. I make a joke when I'm asked by school kids what I wanted to be when I [01:02:00] was their age. I say that I wanted to be an actor or a lawyer, and now I get to be both. The business of being an MP, advocating for your constituents, debating policy, working on legislation, that was bread and butter for Georgina. And she was good at it. For someone who left school at 16, I watched her debate details and issues with skill and depth. She definitely got bored sometimes, no doubt. But she held her own. In the performance side of [01:02:30] politics, I got the sense that she fought herself sometimes. She stated in later years that the debating side of politics ground her down. And I can understand that, but by God she was good at it. The zenith of which was the Prostitution Law Reform Bill. Georgina has talked about her ambivalence about the legislation in a wonderful interview she did with Gareth Watkins. And she did waver in her support at various stages. But by the time of the final reading, she was well and [01:03:00] truly on board. The vote on prostitution law reform was always going to be tight. We didn't know where a number of MPs were going to land. And Georgie was asked by Tim, if I recall, to speak in a five minute call in the final reading of the bill. There was no time for preparation. I vividly remember being in the debating chamber watching along. Georgie's speech was a virtuoso moment. It was pure instinct and heart. It was [01:03:30] angry and it was beautiful. It was born of painful personal experience and deep love for those she knew from the streets and bars. It was the best performance I have ever seen in Parliament. And it changed the course of history. Along with a couple of other speeches that night and Tim's extraordinary hard work, the bill passed by one [01:04:00] vote with one abstention. It would not be right to talk, to finish talking about Georgina's time in Parliament. without mentioning the foreshore and seabed debate. There is not time to go into all of the details, but it was no doubt a turning point for her in her time in politics. It caused her to reflect on her own whakapapa and again to consider what was right and wrong. And, on reflection, her deep sense of that was almost certainly right, [01:04:30] even if it was to mention tonight, I thought long and hard about whether to raise. But I think it says something important about Georgie. In 2013, I was running to be the leader of the Labour Party. For some reason or another, Georgie was asked to comment on the contest. And she said something to the effect of, New Zealand's not ready for a gay Prime Minister. Headlines followed, and I was furious. [01:05:00] I rang her up, and I asked her what on earth was going on. She was sorry that I was upset. But she said, I'm not wrong, am I? And actually, at the time, she was probably telling the uncomfortable and unfortunate truth. Honest, not always diplomatic or strategic, straight from the heart, our Georgina. Now,[01:05:30] now there is a postscript to that story. In recent years, Georgina would come into Parliament for a kapa on a fairly regular basis. Things were tough for her, we all knew that. And I made sure to always say hello and chat for as long as I could. And one day, out of nowhere, as I got up to leave, she grabbed me by the arm, and she said, I'm sorry I said that, about New Zealand not being ready for a gay PM. And there were tears in her eyes, [01:06:00] and tears in mine. And I said, you're probably right. And she said, of course I was, darling. Thank you, Georgie, for being direct. Honest and authentic. For your service to your community. For being a history maker. For changing my world and the rest of the rainbow communities. For being a brave, instinctive politician. For being your authentic, sometimes [01:06:30] frustrating and infuriating self. And for being funny, bold and fearless. I am proud to have known you. Moi mai, moi mai, moi mai rā. May you rest in peace. Wow. Thank you Grant. Fantastic. [01:07:00] Unfortunately, uh, former Member of Parliament Chris Carter cannot join us this evening and sends his apologies as he is currently in England. Chris kindly wrote a message for tonight's memorial service and his former Parliamentary Advisor Michael Gibbs has agreed to read it on his behalf. Could you please welcome Michael Gibbs. Pou mare kia koutou. [01:07:30] Ko Michael Gibbs tōku angawa. On a personal note, I knew Georgina Byer very well from the first time she ran for Parliament in 1999. And as a Rainbow Labour activist and as an MP when I worked in Minister's offices during the Clark Government. And she was a very active local MP. It's an honour for me to share Chris's tribute this evening. This is what Chris had to say, or has to say. I'm sorry that I can't be here this evening to pay tribute to my old friend and colleague, Georgina Beyer. I would [01:08:00] like to thank all of you who've organised this event, and share some memories of my remarkable friend and colleague. I first met Georgina when she was Mayor of Carterton, and was considering running as the Labour Party candidate for the National Health Seat. We hit it off instantly. I was entranced with her from that very first meeting at the 1998 Labour Party conference. She was outrageous, irreverent, quite naughty, and [01:08:30] larger than life. No one could spin a yarn like Georgina, and these stories were always entertaining and often very salacious. We formed a firm friendship that lasted through all the ups and downs of our respective political and personal lives. I've always suspected that some in the Labour caucus and in the media didn't grasp the importance and uniqueness of Georgina. Not only was she the world's first transgender person ever elected as a mayor, and in Carterton of all places, [01:09:00] but she was open over her former life as a sex worker and reformed addict. Not exactly the best CV for an aspiring and ultimately victorious candidate for the New Zealand Parliament. In 1999, Wairarapa was a national health seat and had a very large rural component. Not exactly positive, uh, not exactly promising Labour territory. TVNZ did a profile of the electorate just before the election. The broadcaster Paul Henry, then young, and with model good looks, Chris didn't [01:09:30] always have the best taste, contested the seat for National. Watching the program with my partner Peter, one segment stood out. An older dairy farmer profiled, was profiled working in his milking shed, and he was asked who he was going to vote for. His response was telling. I'm voting for Georgina Byer, she's a great bloke. Laughter Applause Paul Henry came on immediately after that segment and true to form indulged in a bit of [01:10:00] transphobic uh, rhetoric. I was born a male and I'm still a male. I'm still proud to be male. It was mean and awkward. Peter turned to me and said, Paul Henry's just blown his chances. And he was right. Georgina won the seat by 3, 033 votes. And three years later, increased her majority to 6, 372. I have so many memories of Georgina tucked away in my head. Here [01:10:30] are just a few that may give a glimpse of Georgina's courage, tenacity, and her global impact as an MP. First, one of my warmest memories of my dear friend. In 2002, I was elevated to the cabinet. One of my portfolios was ethnic affairs. I'd been in the job for just a few days. It was a Friday evening and I was about to head over to the North Shore of Auckland to attend my very first ethnic function as a new minister. The ministerial car had arrived and then suddenly a taxi turned up in our small T82 cul de [01:11:00] sac and Georgina emerged. In typical Georgina style, she'd forgotten to tell me she was coming to stay and she'd simply arrived. I told her I was heading out to an ethnic event with the Kurdish community, but she could make herself at home until I got back. She responded that she'd never met a Kurd and asked if she could accompany me. How could I say no? The bemused ministerial driver delivered us to the venue, and a flurry of Kurdish men descended. Georgina towered above them, bejewelled and glittering. I introduced her [01:11:30] as the Labour MP for the Wairarapa, but this was somehow meaningless to our hosts, or they were simply overwhelmed by her. She was introduced as Mrs. Carter. And all the.. All night, the men kept telling me how beautiful my wife was. Georgina dined down on it for months. Georgina's success in life had a powerful message for all people, especially youth. When I served as New [01:12:00] Zealand's Minister of Education, I sometimes used Georgina's life experience as an example for senior students. I didn't do that to focus on trans issues, but rather I emphasised the powerful messaging Georgina's life had for students about those facing barriers in life and how to overcome them. Georgina overcame discrimination and obstacles all her life. She highlighted how it's possible for a young person struggling with a diverse sexuality rejected by her family, caught up in prostitution [01:12:30] and addiction, raped. But still able to overcome all that and become a globally recognised politician. That's a pretty powerful and relevant message for anyone, and a strong message of hope for youngsters everywhere. Georgina had guts. When the civil, when the Destiny Church organised a huge march on Parliament, as we've heard about this evening, uh, she strode out of the building and personally confronted Brian Tamaki and some of his rabid henchmen. It was a fiery scene. She [01:13:00] challenged, sometimes not very politely, some Labour caucus members who were hostile to both the civil union prostitution reform legislation. No one was ever in doubt about Georgina's views on any issues. Georgina could be very naughty. I don't think the Parliament had ever had quite as colourful a character as her when she entered Parliament in 1999. Her presence was not universally welcomed. [01:13:30] Soon after she was elected she confronted MP Brian Neeson. A Religious Fundamentalist National MP, then representing the seat of Hellensville. Neeson, who once told me he'd left the Catholic Church because it was too liberal, seemed appalled by Georgina. He gave her hostile stares and bad vibes whenever their paths crossed. In a corridor in Parliament one day, Georgina stopped and called out to him, Brian, pull that arse, girl. Neeson blanched.[01:14:00] fled the scene and avoided her from then on. On another occasion, Georgina, stimulated by the high pitched voice and rather camp gestures of a certain ex MP from the Bay of Plenty, shrieked, Get you, girl! when the member was asking a question in the chamber. Speaker Jonathan Hunt, then presiding over question time, was simply at loss for words. Interestingly, no National MP at the time rose to take a point of order in [01:14:30] defence of their bay of plenty colleague. Lockwood Smith was also a frequent target of Georgina's humour in the House. Georgina became an international identity. The fifth Labour government led by Helen Clark was a very progressive and legislatively active government. Many major policy initiatives were elected, were enacted from social and human rights issues such as civil unions, prostitution reform, to major economic packages like the New Zealand Superannuation [01:15:00] Fund, KiwiBank, KiwiSaver and so on. Georgina's presence in the government was important to Helen Clark. Helen, like many of us in the Labour caucus, felt that Georgina's presence in our parliament sent a powerful message about inclusiveness. To the whole country and society. To show this to the world was something Georgina came to love. In 2003, Georgina was sent to London to take part in the Commonwealth [01:15:30] Studies Programme. This is an event organised by the British Parliament and hosts MPs from a range of Commonwealth countries. On day one of the programme, each of the Commonwealth participants is required to do a personal introduction. Well, those of us who knew Georgina well knew she knew nothing better, loved nothing better than being on stage and telling her own story. On that day, MPs from places such as Kenya, Jamaica, Malaysia, Uganda and Ghana heard about her family's rejection of her based on [01:16:00] her sexuality and gender identity. Her period as a sex worker and as an addict. I'm confident they were totally overwhelmed. I'm not suggesting that she changed many attitudes that day. But she did show that it's possible for a transgender person to become a member of a national parliament. Something most of them could never have imagined before they'd heard Georgina's presentation. For years afterwards, MPs from Commonwealth countries would approach me when I was representing New Zealand as a government minister and ask me about Georgina.[01:16:30] I can truthfully say that globally, the two most well known New Zealand politicians between 1999 and 2008 were undoubtedly Helen Clark and Georgina Byer. That's no mean achievement for a kid from Haitaitai thrown out of home for cross dressing as a young teen who turned to prostitution to survive. My friend, you were a remarkable person and I miss you already. Rest in peace, Chris[01:17:00] Carter. Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Gibb. Thank you, Michael. In 2003, the Prostitution Law Reform Bill was before Parliament to discriminate the rights of those working in the sex industry. Having been in the industry herself, it was the passion of Georgina's to support the bill, and she was very instrumental in getting the numbers needed to get the bill.[01:17:30] across the line, which it duly did. I would like to now invite to the stage Dame Catherine Healy from the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective to share her memories of that crucial time. Kia ora. Kia [01:18:00] ora kato katoa. Gosh, these are such hard acts to follow and it's like everything's Georgina's whanau. And I want to acknowledge the rainbow whanau and the sex worker whanau. So many whanau here tonight. Fantastic. And of special significance to [01:18:30] me, I met some of Georgina's blood whanau tonight who are here. And I want to acknowledge you because.. We have a relationship, um, my sister in law is related, and I found this out tonight. So, it seems like, it seems like reconciliation, which is something I think that Georgina is probably planting from somewhere.[01:19:00] Georgina loathed sex work. She said she hated every minute of it. She worked in an era when sex work wasn't regarded as such, and sex workers were heavily judged, arrested, and generally mistreated, without real recourse for justice. She was also unable to keep her sex work hidden, [01:19:30] which many sex workers understandably do to avoid judgment. Discrimination and stigma, not Georgina. She owned it and stared down the stigma associated with it. Inspiring. So I admired her ability to come on board the decriminalization movement. Often when you dislike something you want to see it got rid of. She could have gone in the opposite direction. [01:20:00] And become a fundamentalist, abolitionist, they exist. Fortunately for us, she chose otherwise, but it wasn't all plain sailing. And we've heard a little bit about that. Around the time when the decriminalization of prostitution was being debated in parliament. There was a lot of lobbying. In particular, there was a lot of concern. And it [01:20:30] wasn't just an issue for New Zealand, for Aotearoa. It concerned radical feminists. It concerned fundamentalist Christians. It concerned a lot of people who aren't on the side of sex workers. So, what happened was an American academic turned up and lobbied Georgina. And as Georgina later reflected, she said, I didn't know all that highfalutin radical [01:21:00] feminist politics theories. I have lived experience, or words to that effect. So we heard.. a quiet rumor that Georgina was going to vote against the bill and we were lucky it was just us and those in the inner circles who heard the rumor. It didn't leak out to the media, but it was a worrying time. So we had to find some old mates of hers to counter [01:21:30] this other academic who'd come in from the America. So we found. A Canadian who went and talked to Georgina and turned her back to support the Prostitution Reform Act. Witness the magic of that powerful speech in Parliament on the eve when the bill was voted in. Where she spoke so passionately and Grant mentioned how bone chilling that moment was. [01:22:00] I'm sure many of you have seen it replayed on television. But we also had a lot of downtime together. We had a lot of lovely moments and I just want to say when Georgina recently was invited to go and speak to the Oxford Union, we talked quietly about that. David Lange, as you may recall, you're all too young I think, um, but you may recall David Lange was invited to speak in a debate and [01:22:30] Um, I think about 25 years later, I was invited, and then somebody else, and then Georgina. And she said, I said, Georgina, what are you going to do? Are you going to debate or, you know, speak? What are you going, because they give you a choice. You can choose a debate or you can choose to speak. And she said, my life is not up for debate. On the [01:23:00] International Day to Celebrate Sex Worker Pride, those of us from NZPC decided it would be the perfect occasion to launch the day. It was a special day, a new international day for sex workers. By honouring Georgina and taking her out to lunch, we chose a restaurant across the harbour and as we chugged on the ferry, the East West Ferry, into the wharf at Days Bay, Georgina could see her old school, the rather [01:23:30] posh Wellesley College. She told a story with relish about catching up with old classmates at a school reunion. It had, in her time, been a boys school. Some of the content, like the sea, was a little blue. I can hear her laughter. Once again, there was a sense she was never afraid to call it out. And I'm just going to [01:24:00] reflect on a couple of comments that came to today from colleagues at NZ PC when she Fraser from NZ PC drove her home that night. She reflected that she lived too close for my liking. I could have driven her to Auckland and back. She was so warm and engaging. Fierce and formidable. Sherita continues un marveled at her incredible political now. [01:24:30] Her wisdom and implicit understanding of human nature. No surprise, she was a sex worker. Georgina was generous with her time and rich with her spirit. And Chanel, who also works, Chanel Hardy, who also works and performs with Te Whanau Whanau and works with NZPC, shares her reflections on Georgina. She says, she had a fire that burned [01:25:00] brighter than any other, and a presence that was impossible to ignore. Chanel remembers Georgie's quote from the Po Tukumanua exhibition. At this time, Georgina said, I stand on the shoulders of those who went before me. Now people stand on the shoulders. of people like me. It's not just our sex worker community in Aotearoa that will remember [01:25:30] her, but many other communities of sex workers around the world who were inspired by her life. We were sometimes asked to facilitate And invitations from these groups to her, we sort of became de facto secretaries for Georgia. And we'd weigh up the invitations. And, um, anyway. Her powerful endorsements of our rights based movement will resonate for years to come, in communities far and wide. [01:26:00] And tonight, I'm here with my NZPC whanau, whom I asked to join me in twirling a red umbrella, the symbol of International Sex Worker Rights, in honor of Georgie.[01:26:30] Can I just say, we were Te Whanau Whanau friends aren't here, so I'm just going to start it, and everyone can join Te Aroha. Te Aroha[01:27:00] [01:27:30] Uh, thank you dime Catherine. As mentioned earlier, Georgina had a vast repertoire of music she loved to perform. Here tonight, to perform one of those numbers, is a drag superstar. An icon. An international performer. Could you please welcome from Auckland, [01:28:00] The one, and the only, Miss Kola Jinn. Ladies and gentlemen, the sensational Kola Jinn! Thank you so much, Kola. The Oxford Union has a [01:28:30] tradition of hosting some of the world's most prominent individuals across politics, academia, and popular culture. Ranging from Albert Einstein, Michael Jackson, Sir Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth the second. In 2018, Georgina Byer joined the ranks of her famous predecessors with an invitation to speak at the Oxford Union. Along with her personal assistant [01:29:00] Julian Cook, Georgina set off to London on another groundbreaking moment in her life. While in London, Georgina had the pleasure of being hosted by Sir Ian McKellen at his residence. We now have a short clip from the wizard Gandalf himself, Sir Ian McKellen. Hello, it's Ian McKellen. I wish I were with you, uh, but I'm not. I'm in London at home, [01:29:30] uh, where Georgina visited me, uh, not that long ago. I just wanted to let you know, in case you didn't, that beyond the shores of New Zealand, Georgina was your representative. Of, All that is very best about New Zealand politics and, and social attitudes. And as your ambassador, uh, she was [01:30:00] close to all our hearts. Simple as that, really. I was very lucky to know her a little, uh, and, uh, smile whenever her name is mentioned. Have a great day. Bye bye. Thank you, Serene. In 2013, Georgina will receive some debilitating news. [01:30:30] She is diagnosed with a kidney disease. Her only option to extend her life was a kidney transplant. A close friend and ally of Georgie's put his hands up and donated one of his kidneys to Georgina. This selfless act was to extend Georgina's life by several more years. Could you please welcome to the podium, the man that made all this possible, Mr. Grant Pidhams.[01:31:00] Thank you for that. Um, and Mel, thanks for that introduction. Um, I guess I played a bit part in Georgie's amazing life. [01:31:30] Um, but certainly near the end, that was quite an important part. You know, and I guess the cliche is that when Georgie moved on, part of me did as well. Georgie, are you still looking after that? She had better be. But okay, why do you do that? Why, you know, give someone, in effect, the gift of life? And it's because Georgie was a friend. And I did not [01:32:00] like seeing a friend die in front of me. And she was. Kidney disease is an awful thing. It slowly creeps up on you, you become more debilitated, more tired, um, and the way that things are extended is, you know, the medical world intrudes more upon your world. So, I was looking at Georgie dying, this was [01:32:30] some, a few years ago, and I thought if no one else will, I will. So, you know, being a public servant, we had coffee at the archives cafe, and I said to Georgie, Look, I've got two kidneys and you need one. Do you want it? There was quite a bit of tears, um, and then she and I, [01:33:00] began this amazing journey. And giving someone a kidney is actually not that straightforward. It takes ages. And I don't mean the bit where they cut it out of you with a knife. I mean, it's the bit that comes up to it. Georgie and I went through this journey and I learned an awful lot about myself and I learned a lot about kidney disease, much of which I didn't want to. There were, there were some conversations that I [01:33:30] was almost hiding under the table, it was so awful. Anyway, I don't like seeing my friends die in front of me, but I also felt, this might sound a bit, you know, whatever, but I also felt Georgie had more to give us. And we had more to learn. So, that all ended up with, uh, two attempts, uh, and in the end, [01:34:00] um, you know, Georgie ended up with one of my kidneys. And for, for those that don't know about this stuff, and most people wouldn't, it's in effect an instant cure. You know, so you go from being sick to being well, just like that. Um, and.. Georgie struggled with that for a bit, and not so much from the post surgery. She struggled with the, the moving from being, you know, increasingly ill, almost invalid, to [01:34:30] being not. Um, and I tried to, you know, because of our relationship, I did quite a bit of teasing and come on, you know, all of that sort of stuff. I, I remember in Auckland Hospital. While, while she hated being in hospital and she's a really bad patient, she was awful. You know, the grand dame came out in a big way, but she also took on board everything she was [01:35:00] told. And I remember I was sitting on the end of her bed at the end of the ward in Auckland hospital and she was raging on because she had just read all of the side effects of her immunosuppressant regime. Um, and one of, one of it said that, um, she might grow hair. And she was raging on about how she had fought growing hair all her life and she was not going to do this now. And I just said to her, [01:35:30] Georgie, career opportunity, you could grow a beard, join the circus, be the bearded lady. The fact she was still quite sick and at the other end of the beard probably means I'm standing in front of you talking now. But we went through a lot. But kidney disease, as I said, is an awful thing and while that donation bought her more time and it bought her time for, to [01:36:00] help everyone some more, in the end it came and got her. And at the end, Georgie's strength and her courage came out. It takes a lot of courage. It takes a lot of courage to say.. This is it. She knew that when her second kidney failed and there was these, there was nothing from [01:36:30] here. She knew this was the end. She could have gone on to a renal dialysis and she just was not going to do that. So she took that decision. Now is the time. And I admire her bravery. So Georgie gave us a lot. She gave passion, she gave strength, she gave us things, we saw pride, we saw courage, and we saw sharing from her. [01:37:00] And she has left us with a great treasure. And that treasure is her legacy. We must never forget her legacy of what she did for all of us in this room. What she did for our country. And what has she done for people. So, we have lost an important New Zealander, uh, [01:37:30] and it is up to us to keep that legacy alive. She's not, but she is in us all. And it's up to us to keep that alive, to have the courage to do the things we want to do, have pride in ourselves, know our strengths and help others. So, let us go on in that legacy, we know what to do, she has shown us the [01:38:00] way. Thank you Grant. The Rainbow Room, Georgina sets the bar on equality. Our next memorable moment is the relaunch of the Rainbow Room at Parliament. Hello, I'm Georgina Beyer. [01:38:30] Um. I was elected to Parliament in 1999 after having served two terms as Mayor of Carterton in the Wairarapa. I was the world's first out transsexual to have been elected to a Parliament and indeed to have been elected as a Mayor, uh, for that matter. My arrival in Parliament was, um, taken with some surprise, I guess. My electorate was a rural, conservative seat, Wairarapa, one of the [01:39:00] largest general seats in the country at the time. And so while it was remarkable, uh, that a transsexual had been able to be, um, elected as a constituency MP, I think the story really lies behind those. who supported me getting into Parliament, and that is the people of Wairarapa. I was very proud of that. I had no idea at the time that I was considered to be the world's first out transsexual. I added the out bit myself at a United Nations Human Rights [01:39:30] Conference in Montreal a while later, because I decided that I needed to pay homage to those who may have been transgender. But could never have been out. And if they had served perhaps in parliaments or whatever before. So that was just my little acknowledgement I think to those who may not have been able to be as out as I was able to be. Outside of these boundaries, outside of this coastline, there isn't a [01:40:00] person I know who is not trans or, uh, intersex. Who doesn't look to Georgina Byer as the iconic Gandhi of the movement. I know that's how she sees herself, but being the first in the world, again is a remarkable achievement. And her courage, her tenacity, her authenticity transforms hearts and minds. I don't wanna be [01:40:30] meow dramatic, but we know that queer kids around the world in places that are less affirming than in New Zealand. Struggle every day with anxiety, with depression, with suicidal thoughts, but we know that when they see somebody in legitimate positions of power around them, they are reassured. They feel validated. They feel worthy. They feel they can aspire to something. In the future, so [01:41:00] every queer out elected politician in the newspaper on television is life affirming and to many millions of kids that is life changing and in many cases that is life saving because you see yourself as an authentic, real, legitimate person, member of humanity and you see a pathway out of the difficulty. It is incredibly fitting [01:41:30] that this new and improved Rainbow Room will be dedicated near the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Because one of the many, many legacies of Stonewall is the power of an individual act to reverberate around the world. And at a time when LGBTQ people find themselves under attack in far too many corners of this globe, including in my home country of the United States. The actions and the [01:42:00] work here in the New Zealand Parliament have never been more important. Because for the last several decades, you all have been at the forefront of the movement for the rights and dignity of LGBTQ people around the world. From marriage equality to the globally historic election of Georgina Beyer, you all have not just made change for people here in New Zealand. You have set the bar and challenged the world to live up to our highest ideals and to be our best selves. And so, my hope [01:42:30] as we dedicate this rainbow room, Is that the work and the words and the actions that fill it in the years to come will be work and actions that continue to challenge not just people in New Zealand to be better, but continue to challenge advocates and activists and politicians and people around the globe to move equality and justice forward for LGBTQ people. To continue to set that bar higher and higher, to [01:43:00] continue to challenge the world, to continue to demonstrate through the power of your example, that equality must always win. And someday, years from now, when as we say in the United States, our understanding of we the people finally includes all of us, a young LGBTQ kid will grow up here in Wellington or in Russia. Or in South America, or in New York City. And never have to know what these moments of progress felt like to [01:43:30] all of us. Because they will never know anything different. And that will be because of advocates and activists and out politicians who dreamed of a different world. It will be because of everyday people who marched and fought for a better tomorrow. It will be because of allies who stood up or spoke out. It will be because of all of you. Thank you all.[01:44:00] Our next two speakers have flown from Darwin especially to attend tonight's memorial service for Georgina. To reflect on their friendship and their time in parliament with Georgina, please welcome Tim Barnett and Ramon Manamopoto. Kia ora tatou, [01:44:30] ko Tim aho. I'm going to just change the agenda very slightly. Um, I've got the third person here, Steve Chadwick, who was one of the Labour members of Parliament who was absolutely on side with Georgina. And she is going to read a message from Helen Clark, who's just been travelling around the world. Also, I just want to recognise Jill Pettis and Mariam Street, who are here tonight, who are part of the team supporting Georgina. [01:45:00] So, first to nui ki a koutou. And it is humbling to be asked to give Helen Clark's tribute to Georgina tonight. Georgina was my house sitting mate. So there's lots of stories to tell you about Georgie, as I knew her, and myself. And we did walk together. But from Helen Clark. In 1995, [01:45:30] Georgina's election as Mayor of Carterton attracted a lot of attention throughout New Zealand. Georgina was a powerful speaker, passionate about her beliefs in transgender. She commanded attention. She was re elected in 1998 with a 90% majority of the vote. Impressed by Georgina, the New Zealand Labour Party asked her to stand in the Wairarapa electorate at the 1999 general election. [01:46:00] Georgina's campaign was successful and the rest you've heard about tonight is history. But she did attract attention worldwide as the world's first openly transgender member of parliament. Georgina was in parliament for just over seven years of the nine years of our government. MPs. Her style was to be a conscience for who she was and the people she [01:46:30] represented. She had strong views, a sharp tongue, and rich, complex life experience from which she could draw stories and views. She was a strong advocate for equity and for justice for all. We'll remember Georgina for her dedication to working with and for the most marginalized and for equity and justice. We will remember [01:47:00] Georgina for her wicked sense of humor. And we will remember Georgina for her own personal courage in breaking through the boundaries of stigma and prejudice. to become an acclaimed public figure. At the time tonight of Matariki, may Georgina now rest in peace. From Helen Clark, the Right Honourable Helen Clark, the former Prime[01:47:30] Minister. APPLAUSE Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. That's it, for most of us. However, just occasionally, Somebody does it differently. They leave something of meaning behind, not a dry old bone or a name on a plaque, but instead, powerful [01:48:00] memories. Stories that improve with the telling. Achievements which survive the person's passing. They left some part of the world and some part of our souls in a better place than they found it. Georgina ticked all those boxes, why else would Hundreds of us gather here tonight traveling through, from a Darwin perspective, the rigor of a cold winter's night in Wellington to remember and celebrate her. I first [01:48:30] heard of Georgina as the improbable Mayor of Cartherton. I first met her as she was emerging as the Labour candidate for the Wairarapa when attending the Hero Parade in Auckland. She joined me in Parliament later that year as one of Labour's Rainbow Trio. We worked together on sex worker and civil union law reform. She claimed that her role was allowed to persuade [01:49:00] mine as strategist. A senior whip during the last three years of that Labour government. I handled some of the excitement and issues which she generated as her focus moved to life out of politics. And then, just as COVID was arriving, she used to pop round to see us at our home in Miramar. I don't want to linger tonight. There are better and better informed speakers here than me. But I just wanted to offer a crisp [01:49:30] answer from my perspective. to the four questions that float in my mind. They're the questions which apply to every life lived, and they take on special meaning for extraordinary lives such as Georgina's. Georgina was a true product of her iwi, in spite of being rejected by them, and of Aotearoa New Zealand. She emerged through our egalitarian society, which nurtured and accepted her rebelliousness [01:50:00] and her feistiness. And responded to her very reasonable demand to be accepted and to be heard. She handled her complexities with skill and made them into enigmas. As just one of many examples, she was literally a former sex worker with the surname of a captain of industry. Second, what has she left behind her? Georgina allowed the [01:50:30] extraordinary to live among us. She was a very definition of, it's possible. More than just being, which would be a big achievement in itself, she became the poster child for reforms which were world leading. That support was authentic because those reforms shouted Georgina from the rooftops. They were emancipating laws, offering a pathway in from the margins. When Georgina departed parliament, ultimately for unemployment, [01:51:00] and her losing battle with a chronic health condition. She showed a survivor's instinct, which few of us could aspire to. Third, what will we miss about her? Georgina's sense of certainty was almost palpable. That alone inspired many of us here tonight. Her curled lip and the rasping powerful words delivered when required with just a hint of snarl. She had lived a life and had the [01:51:30] powerful ability to talk from that place of intense personal experience. Her words really did move minds and votes. Fourth, what could have been. Georgina was always ready to move on to the next project. My great regret was that our system.. or indeed any other system couldn't generate a meaningful role for Georgina after she left parliament. I saw a [01:52:00] possible role as an international advocate for what is the best about human rights in Aotearoa, but instead she experienced long periods of introspection with brief interludes of bright sunlight. That was her and our loss. I really don't know if Georgina believed in a heaven. Some here do, for sure. I do know that in our memories, in our dreams, and in the heaven, we may imagine, and even experience, Georgina will [01:52:30] play a special role as a compelling commentator, as a determined challenger, and as the living example of what can be. I don't want to finish talking about Georgina, uh, without some of the, couple of the funny little stories. Uh, but I also wanted to recognize there's something special about this venue. The last time I saw Georgina performing publicly was prior to the Oxford Union trip, I think, but I wasn't, I wasn't there. Uh, she [01:53:00] interviewed Chelsea Manning, um, who was the, um, before her gender reassignment. was the person who did Wikileaks, uh, Australia refused to let Chelsea Manning in, New Zealand let her in, and Georgina and she spoke on stage, and two extraordinary, uh, transgender people were there in that interaction. I also, I think my favourite story about Georgina is from Kieran McAnulty. Um, who is now [01:53:30] the Labour Member of Parliament for Wairarapa. And, uh, I think Georgina Uzei used to, um, do childcare for him. He's certainly part of the Labour Fano over there. And back in that first 1999 election, which undoubtedly had some exciting moments. At a, uh, at a candidate's meeting, somebody from the audience shouted out, Where's your penis? And she responded saying, I sent a jar on the mantelpiece, where's yours?[01:54:00] My other, the other one I'll mention, I said I was a whip towards the end, so parliamentary staff would come to me when there were dramas in MPs offices. Somebody come to me very cautiously towards the end of Georgina being there to say that she wanted to have the big box on her table Removed because it was getting in the way But the big box was actually the the monitor and she never actually used email all the time [01:54:30] She did the job and she just wanted to get rid of the box which completely befuddled the parliamentary rules So there we are and one last It's a memory about the rainbow room the rainbow room I think currently with the changes in Parliament, it's no longer, um, it is there, but it's not publicly available. I'm sure it will be soon. Um, Charles Chevelle, who is another one part of the, part of these journeys, one of our gay MPs, every time he had a committee meeting in the room, [01:55:00] often with terrible right wing Tories, fundamentalists, he used to ask that the meeting acknowledge that it was his special room. As a rainbow member of parliament. And you deeply irritate them in the process. So much more I could say. But Georgina, thank you girl. You gave us your all. Rest in peace.[01:55:30] Um, and I'm the partner of Tim Georgina was a, uh, a very special friend to us and I, there are many wonderful stories that I would like to. [01:56:00] But I am actually here to deliver a speech on behalf of my cousin, Louisa Wall, who was the sponsor of the Marriage Equality Bill and, uh, was very close to Georgina. Good, uh, Louisa is currently in Geneva. Louisa says that she remembers Georgina. As a fearless and brave trans woman who left an [01:56:30] indelible mark on history as a beacon of hope and inspiration for the LGBTIA QIA God, this just gets longer and longer, uh, community in Aotearoa and across the world. That was actually one thing that Georgina did say to me that the LGBT.. The alphabet was getting a little bit too much. Um, Georgina's journey [01:57:00] was a testament of her unwavering determination and resilience. As the world's first openly transgender mayor, member of parliament, and respected actress, she shattered barriers and challenged societal norms. With unwavering grace, her courage paved the way for the future, for future generations of transgender individuals to embrace their true selves, fostering inclusivity and acceptance.[01:57:30] Beyond her political accomplishments, Georgina's infectious spirit and enthralling presence captivated hearts, minds, transcending gender identity and her charismatic nature and dedication to social justice and equality resonated with people from all walks of life, making her an emblem of hope for the LGBT community.[01:58:00] IA plus communities worldwide. Georgina's legacy extends beyond Aotearoa. And we did see that very much tonight with Sue Ian McCallum, um, in Sue Ian McCallum's message and her story has served an inspiration for countless trans individuals globally. My cousin says that their dreams are not limited. Your dreams are not limited by [01:58:30] society's prejudices. And Georgina demonstrated that gender identity should never hinder one's potential for greatness. Encouraging others to embrace their authentic selves without fear or compromise. Those are some words that my cousin has written for Georgina this evening.[01:59:00] I would just like to add to that, that during Georgina's, uh, years, Um, around 2016, Georgina didn't have a lot of, um, pute, and at one point she didn't have a car. Louisa and my other cousin, funny [01:59:30] theme this, Nanaia Mahuta, um, saw that and decided that they would, um, have a fundraiser to raise some money for Georgina so that she could at least have a car. Um, we actually never knew how much money we would raise but we did raise enough for her and that evening Tariana Turia, uh, was still in parliament and she came to support that particular [02:00:00] fundraiser. Funnily enough, so did The very people that I had to keep Georgina away from during that Enough is Enough March. Brian and, um, Brian and Hana Tamaki purchased the table. And they came to that meeting. I'm not going to tell you why, but if you do want to come and talk to me about it later, I'm happy to, uh, to, to share some of the details that I do know about. [02:00:30] Thank you, Brian and Hannah, for your car that you brought for Georgina. As Grant had earlier mentioned, and I thought Georgina had forgotten the fact that I was the poor little sod that had.. To follow her around during that enough is enough much at the last minute. No warning and We [02:01:00] were in the middle of all of this this blackness and not enough You remember but it had been raining and we were standing ankle deep in mud in the middle of this March And I thought that actually someone was gonna clout us So but before I knew it Georgina had spun on her heels After I did tell her that she should leave, and took off, and I turned around and she was gone.[02:01:30] And there she was standing in front of Parliament, and I hadn't quite figured out what was going on, and she was screaming at the, at the TV cameras. Um, and it wasn't until a little bit later that, um, you know, a few minutes later after, I crawled my way out of that crowd back up and through the mud and back onto the steps of Parliament. And I'd just like to say that that flag that everyone was holding in front of Parliament, That was mine.[02:02:00] And I, and I, and I hung and Jackie's sitting down here going, Yes. I, I, I snuck into Parliament, into the area above the doors of Parliament and threw it over the, over the, uh, over the balcony for my one moment. I thought I was going to get arrested. Um, but, Georgina, love you. [02:02:30] Um, and thank you for everything that you, for your friendship, really, um, for being just present. So thank you all very, very much also for, um, giving, uh, or coming and sharing in this, in this space.[02:03:00] Kota Hikapua! He mara mai i te whenua Kia peti te [02:03:30] rohe tua He kahurangi He kore koe ena roho[02:04:00] [02:04:30] Uh, thank you, Tim. Thank you Ramon. And, uh, thank you Stevie Chadwick. Fantastic. Our next presentation, we're not too far away, Our next presentation was filmed in Parliament Grounds and at Scotty and Mel's Cocktail and Lounge Bar. It was recorded three weeks before Georgina sadly passed away. It was [02:05:00] recorded for World Pride, um, in Sydney and was played right before. Here we go with a little bit of world pride from Georgina. Georgina passed away peacefully on Monday the 6th of March, surrounded by her nearest and dearest [02:05:30] friends. She had fully accepted the reality of her life diminishing. She had a twinkle in her eyes and was cracking jokes right to the end. For our next performance.. Please choose, this time, to reflect on your memories of Georgina. Could you please welcome back to the stage, the one and only Polly Fuller.[02:06:00] Thank you so much, Polly. Fantastic. This evening's presentation could not have happened without the support of so many people that gave their time and their energy to make it all happen. Gareth Watkins from Pride New Zealand. A massive [02:06:30] thank you for putting together all of our visuals for this evening's performance and production. Without your assistance, none of this would have been possible. And we're entirely grateful for all the hard work that you've contributed to make this evening a success. The Mary Potter Hospice. For the love, support, and care you showed. Not only for Georgina, but all of us, who practically lived there during the [02:07:00] final week. In Georgina's own words, on the day she arrived at the hospitals, it was, I like it here. I feel safe, and I feel comfortable. Harbour City Funeral Home, for the love, respect and dignity that you treated Georgina with. And also for tonight's printed memorial sheets, which they have done at their own expense. And [02:07:30] I'd really like to give a big shout out to, uh, Ruth. Um, I'm gonna say it out loud, fuckin diamond. Honestly. Really. The, uh. The dignity that you treated our Georgina with could never be surpassed. The Christopher Tooker Memorial Trust, the Peter Rule Foundation [02:08:00] and the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust, thank you all for your financial support and input to make this evening possible. We could not have done it without you all. And to all of you out there who contributed to the Give a Little page to assist us with tonight's memorial. And last but not least, the behind the scenes crew that have worked tirelessly over the last four months to ensure that our dear [02:08:30] friend Georgina would be remembered for all eternity. Heather Hennady and Helene Cullen, Louise Ricard Sims, Cherie and Tiaki Freeman, Brian Jenkins, and my gorgeous husband Scotty Kennedy, Scotty Kennedy Born, [02:09:00] for all your time on the computer. I'm putting up with my last minute changes. Richard Sinnott and all the crew here at the Embassy Theatre. Absolutely outstanding. A massive thank you to all of our guest speakers. Um, as well. Kevin Inouye and Te Fana Fana. The fabulous Polyfilla. And Colagen of course. And [02:09:30] Threesome, the band you heard out there. Apparently there's only two tonight. One taken ill. But they are available for hire, so if you need to know that, then, uh, do come and see us, we can put you in touch. And of course, Cola Gin. The amazing Cola Gin. At a moment's notice, we ring, uh, got hold of Cola, and, darling, could you come down and perform this number for us? And she went, bang, on the button, baby, right there.[02:10:00] Um, I just, before we get on to the next piece, I.. Before we get on to the next piece, I want you to all stand up and thank this man. Because he, this man, was Georgina's family, was her brother. And he was there beside her to the end. And we love you now. [02:10:30] Every single person out there loves you. And you never get enough acknowledgement of what you do. So thank you. Thank you darling. I, um, I really just think that this is what we do for friends, and if any one of us would do the same, um, and I did promise Georgie, um, and she slowly slipped away, Georgie needs to come around to [02:11:00] our place every Monday night for dinner, and um, it was really important to us to make sure that she was eating properly. Um, and she left Parliament. She was on the bones of her fucking ass, to be quite honest. Um, but she was a friend and I loved her dearly. And every Monday night, she would come round to our place for dinner. And we would sit there and we'd have a hoot and a laugh and cook dinner. She'd usually arrive between 3pm and 3. 30 in the afternoon. Georgina passed away at exactly [02:11:30] 3. 30pm. On Monday. Before I, uh, invite Kevin Hanui and, um, Te Whanau Whanau back on stage, I do have one unscheduled guest that I would like to invite up onto the stage. Ladies and gentlemen, I've only met this lady twice before. Could you please welcome.. Karen Morrison, Georgina's sister.[02:12:00] I did have a meeting with, uh, Karen and it was, uh, and we sat in the bar and had a couple of drinks and chatted and, um, we were talking about Georgina and different colours and things and, um, Georgina loved purple and Karen says, look what I'm wearing, purple. Ladies and gentlemen, Georgina's sister, Karen.[02:12:30] Kia ora everyone. My name's Karen Morris. And don't say Mokoloa. Laughter Uh, it's a, this was not planned or scheduled but it's really important that I get up um, to acknowledge all of you. Uh, I've been [02:13:00] sitting there thinking, what am I going to say? From the heart. First and foremost I would like to thank and Scotty. Um, I don't know how shocked they were when my husband and I walked into their bar. I've never been in there before and it was important. It was a crazy, it was Cuba Duba night, yeah. Um, but it was important [02:13:30] um, for me To meet them because they were her nearest and dearest, along with Heather and, whom I've met for the first time tonight, and others that were with her, especially at the end. So, from our whanau, uh, to you, and we're just so grateful that you were there and someone was there with her. Um, it was, it's been difficult, I'm gonna be honest, it's been difficult. Um, because, as.. [02:14:00] That is whanau toto, that is blood whanau, we haven't had a chance. to grieve or mourn because there hasn't been a place. So, it's, this is it for me. Um, so thank you for giving me this time and space to do that. I just want to actually acknowledge also that I'd never met Georgina until 1985. January [02:14:30] 1985. There's a whole back story that I'm not going to go into tonight. Um, But I was searching for my birth family and, um, discovered that the brother I thought that I had was actually my sister. So Georgina, I've only ever had a sister. Georgina has been my sister since 1985.[02:15:00] Our, our mother passed away in 1978. Uh, so I never got to meet her, but I learnt about her. from her family, um, my Aunty Moana and her daughter Kim, who's here tonight. Um, and there's another Aunty that is, was going to be here, but she couldn't make it from, uh, Havelock North, Aunty Joan. Um, they were [02:15:30] my, uh, my mother's sisters and, um, So they knew Georgina as George and, uh, have been on her journey her whole life, so I'm really grateful that you're here tonight, Aunty Moana, and we're thinking of Aunty Joan. Uh, in 1984, 85, when I met Georgina for the first time. I met my birth father for the first time, and his name was Jack Bertrand. That's the Bertrand family, [02:16:00] and I'd like to acknowledge the Bertrand cousins that are here tonight, that have come to support this evening. It was such a special reunion, to meet Georgina for the first time, to meet my birth father for the first time, and to meet Jack. The Bertrands do everything in a pack, you know, they all come and support. It's just beautiful and, um, And we've always been there on [02:16:30] the sidelines. Um, I would run into Georgina at the market in town or sitting outside Café Lafare or, um, Where else did I sit with her? Um, Gypsy Kitchen, I think it is, in Strathmore. And, um, we would just sit down and Actually I would listen and she would talk. Laughter But it was always, just, it was always [02:17:00] lovely. And um, the last time that um, we spent time together was actually three years ago, um, this month, this week that we farewelled um, our mother's brother, Uncle Cyril. in New Plymouth, and Georgina came up for that funeral, for that tangi, and um, she got to, well these two of my [02:17:30] children got, oh no, this one, and yeah, got to actually um, have an amazing conversation with Georgina when we all went out for dinner. And that was really important to me, that they had that connection. Um, with their auntie, you know, and that was really um, another special occasion. The other, what I've learned tonight, I've learned about the loving and intimate [02:18:00] friendships that my sister had with you all. And that's helped fill the space for me of the time that I didn't get to spend with her. So I'm really grateful to you all for loving her. For caring for her, um, for taking her under your wing, um, To walk beside her on this amazing journey that she's had in this lifetime. And definitely a legacy that she has left [02:18:30] for, uh, future generations. So, on that note, lovely to meet you all. I hope you've had a great evening. Kia [02:19:00] ora. to invite Te Whanau Whanau, Maori Cultural Performing Group, to the stage for our final performance. Along with, uh, Kevin Hanui for our closing karakia. Uh, Kia ora tatou. Um, as the, our group, uh, comes down on the, to the platform below, I just wanted to acknowledge again all the speakers before us, Mel, Scotty, everyone [02:19:30] who's contributed to this evening. I also wanted to, uh, To the who are here today. Um, it's a very big, um, thing for them to be with us this, this evening. I wanted to say that, uh, Georgina was really, in my opinion, um, giving right until the end. Um, I was in Sydney at the World Pride when Georgina spoke. [02:20:00] Georgina was celebrated there. And Georgina was celebrated at human rights conferences around the world. So, Georgina, uh, was inspiring to many, um, civil activists around the world, whether they from Africa, Morocco, United States, Russia, Europe, South America, Georgina was a real pillar of, of inspiration. And I just wanted to to underpin just [02:20:30] how much of an impact as a global leader of rainbow, um, communities, of trans communities, of gay, lesbian, bisexual, non binary, intersex communities, all of those communities, um, where we have diverse characteristics around how we present ourselves. love. Georgina was, was the champion. So I wanted to, um, honor this, um,[02:21:00] this occasion, um, and so we have a song that was composed. Um, to honor Georgina. It's a farewell song. It's a song that is, um, honors Georgina as whakawahine. As a, as a trans woman. As a, as a woman. As a leader. Uh, and it's fitting that, um, we should honor Georgina in this way. We [02:21:30] don't have many waiata in Maori, from my knowledge, that acknowledges our, our whakawahine in such a way. And we have lost a few already, um, this year, and I think of Manaoroa, um, Te Wao as one, and there are others. But for all of those, uh, whakawahine, wahine toa, this is our, uh, tribute to Eden tonight. Um, and so we thank you all for, for, Thank you for being able to share this with us and [02:22:00] to give us an occasion to honor Georgina in this way. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. At the end of our performance there will be a karakia and that will be us. Um, for the evening.[02:22:30] Kua mutua te rinawero ki te [02:23:00] ura o te ahi. Kua iho te toi ngata mata e pakalui iri.[02:23:30] Wow.[02:24:00] [02:24:30] Why Born in Joinah A martyr in Cock a doodlie eee [02:25:00] Why. God, God, God,[02:25:30] [02:26:00] Wow. Well, we're uh, at the end of tonight's memorial service. But please do join us back in Blonini's Bar to swap stories and toast a remarkable icon, Georgina Byam. But just before we go, we thought it only appropriate to let Georgina have the last word. I [02:26:30] saw a piece from the New Zealand Herald in 2005, and it was five things I've learned so far. And I'm thinking, can I read these back to you? Oh, God, yes, OK. I know these things can make them bite you in the backside sometimes. But they're, they're, they're really.. It's the trouble with, with speeches off the top of your head. But they're, they're really cool things. And the five things that you, you, you noted down were, one, be who you are. Yes. I stand by that. I have been. And you continue [02:27:00] to be. Yes, yes. Incredibly, I have so much admiration for. Um, see challenges as opportunities. Yes. Yeah, because um, otherwise it gets you down. That goes back to my sort of um, some of the reflections I had on suicide and, and, and bad things that have happened to you. You can walk around with a chip on your shoulder all you like, or else you can, you know, meet the challenge and sort of know I'm, there's something better than that.[02:27:30] Don't dispose of past experiences. No, don't dispose of past experiences at all. Um, you know, that history, for better or for worse, is your make up. It's what makes you who you are. It's what's sustained you until now. I'm not saying live in the past or wallow in it or anything, but just as a marker. You know, it provides points of reference, I [02:28:00] think. Be upfront. Oh, for sure. Well, in my life, that's definitely been an advantage. Some might think it's been a disadvantage, and even though, you know, some could say, well, look at the results of it, like right now, what I'm having, but no, it's um, yeah. And the final one was believe in what you say, but think before you say it. Yeah, think before you say something sometimes, because, you know, you don't want to [02:28:30] unnecessarily, um, Stomp on other people's mana. You know, or at least, um, agree to disagree. You know, on some things. I mean.. I don't like a lot of the indoctrinal.. Attitudes of the Brian Tarnakis of this world, or the Garth McVickers of this world, or the McCroskries of this world. Those who have a different view, but I'll defend their right to say it. And I [02:29:00] prefer to see, eyeball to, you know, look in the eyes of my enemy, rather than those that work subversively. Well, thank you so much. I mean, we've been talking for, I think, about two and a half hours. Oh, okay. Goes, goes very fast. But, um, uh, look, I, I think, um.. Have you asked about everything you wanted to know? No. No. No, no. Well, what were some of the other questions? They might have been better. No, we've covered a lot of ground. It's, it's.. [02:29:30] It's been, it's been great. But, um, yeah, thank you so much because, um, I think there are a whole lot of people out there that really admire, um, what you've done and who you are and, um, just seeing you in Parliament, I mean, the symbolic nature of that gives so many people hope. But did they feel the same way with Chris and with Tim and with Marion and with Charles and with Grant and.. Marilyn Waring, of course. I think she's [02:30:00] revered in that regard because of her experience, which is incredible. And, um, you know, many others. For the transgender world, yes. But I think apart from that, I'm, I'm not so special. Um, I think people just enjoyed at the time the whole spectacle of this unconventional politician arriving on the national [02:30:30] stage and then the international stage legitimately, cleanly, and there was just a whole lot of elements I think that gave people a sense of, you know. I feel good about this. I don't feel badly about it. Good on her. You know, there's some kind of, sort of, underdog. Battler from Struggle Street did well, just to pinch a phrase off John Banks. Um. That I was mayor of his hometown makes me happy.[02:31:00] Yeah, I mean, I kind of think it was actually, um. For me personally, you know, we have a strong person that knows who they are, that is doing the right thing. And actually I, I, I really admire that. Thank you. Thank you.[02:31:30] Thank you all for your attendance here this evening. I'm Malcolm Kennedy Vaughan. It's been a pleasure to host you all. Please join us in Blondini's. Ka kite anō.
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