Janet Rice, a Green Party candidate from Maribrynong in the small South Australian centre of Williamstown, has revealed her husband's decision to become a woman. Rice told the Herald Sun newspaper this week that her husband, Peter Whetton, became Penelope four years ago. "It was certainly challenging because we were happily married, but we are still happily married," she said. The couple have been married 17 years. "It's certainly been a big thing for us to go through but we got through it. "Yes, we're still happily married, yes, we still love each other." A blog maintained by notorious Labor Party member Andrew Landeryou, son of former state MP Bill Landeryou, first published references to the situation several weeks ago when Rice was endorsed by the Greens. Rice, a former small-town mayor, accepts that her run for government has generated interest in her private life. "That said, the main game is that I'm standing for parliament. I have a partner who is transgender and we're not hiding that but the main game is who I am." The couple's teenage sons, John and Leon, were "very accepting" of their dad's change, which she says has had little impact on her political fortunes. "People know and it hasn't been an issue," Rice said. "We haven't hidden it at all and it's not an issue to people. The kids' footy club, they accept it. Maribrynong is a fantastic place to live in accepting diversity and accepting that everyone is different." The Greens are extremely supportive of lesbian, homosexual, transgender and bisexual people, and have specific policies aimed at firming up their rights in areas such as recognition of their relationships and financial security. Rice would not say whether Whetton had undergone gender reassignment surgery. "She socially transitioned four years ago but other than that, it's our private life. "As far as the world is concerned, Peter became Penny four years ago." Ref: News.com.au (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 25th August 2007 - 5:47pm