Georgina Beyer looks on at Parliament yesterday Georgina Beyer, who will be feted tonight at a Wellington tribute fundraiser evening, says she was "somewhat suprised" when she learned that Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki would be attending the event. The Tamakis and their evangelical church have regularly been to the forefront of high-profile and sometimes vitriolic opposition to the emerging legal and social equality for glbti people. Beyer, a transgender woman who is now struggling against kidney deterioration and having low level dialysis four times a day, was one of the politicians and campaigners who confronted them head on, most memorably when she went face to face with Brian Tamaki during the church's notorious Enough is Enough march through the Wellington streets to Parliament. Tamaki has also refused to acknowledge her change of gender, contentiously referring to her as 'him.' "When I first made aware they would be coming I was skeptical," Beyer says. "I thought 'my God, why would they want to come?'" But, given several weeks to think it over, Beyer says she decided to take a less reactionary stance. "Maybe it's time to start to building bridges, to put politics to one side and consign the bitterness to history. We have had, and probably still have, very deep political diferences but maybe they have decided decided to show their respect for me as a person." Beyer sais she knows she won't be the only glbti person who at first looked askance at the Tamaki's presence, "but I hope we in the gay communities can be big enough, adult enough, to look at reconcilliation, to start building bridges." "In a way it's quite a compliment to me for them to come along despite our history so I'm choosing to take it as a magnamous gesture on their part." Meanwhile, Mana party staffer Jevan Goulter, who is involved with pre-event preparations today, says he helped facilitate tickets for the Tamakis to join Mana leader Hone Harawira at his table and that the idea for the couple to attend was floated to him by Hannah Tamaki. Goulter says he was aware of the heated row Beyer and Brian Tamaki had outside Parliament during the church's Enough is Enough march during the Civil Unions campaign, and of Tamaki's refusal to acknowledge her sex change and referring to her as a man. He says the event's organiser, Jo Paku, as well as Beyer and MPs including Louisa Wall and Hone Harawira, have all known for some time that the Tamakis would be attending. "After all, it is a public event," he notes. He says he "hasn't really" had any negative reaction since Harawira mentioned in a Parliamentary speech honouring Beyer yesterday afternoon that the Tamakis would attend and doesn't think their presence will be an issue. He doubts that anyone will feel uncomfortable tonight. "People need to remember that this is Georgina's night," he says.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 14th November 2013 - 9:48am