Erecting a statue of the late Carmen Rupe in Wellington is "a fantastic idea," which mayor Celia Wade-Brown says she is happy to investigate. "Carmen was an important person in Wellington and a power in terms of diversity and tolerance," says mayor Wade-Brown. "A statue or something similar to remember Carmen by is a fantastic idea which I am happy to investigate. She was a fabulously statuesque person so maybe a statue would be most appropriate." The mayor says she was "so sad" to hear of the passing of "such a cheerful and colourful character" who was a frontrunner in glbti visibility and who once stood for the mayoralty. "I admired her strength in living her life on her own terms and standing up against discrimination," says Wade-Brown. Carmen was farewelled in Sydney earlier this afternoon. She died in the early hours of Thursday morning, aged 75, after a long decline which began after a fall late last year and a subsequent hip operation. Several glbti well-wishers on social media sites and blogs have suggested that Wellington City create a physical memorial to her. Dominion Post columnist Sean Plunket, who described Carmen as a "bright flower in a grey world," has also floated the idea.
Credit: Gaynz.com Daily News
First published: Tuesday, 20th December 2011 - 4:19pm