5:15PM: Kapiti Coast District has elected an openly lesbian woman as its mayor, only the second time in New Zealand history that an openly LGBT person has been elected to such a position. Jenny Rowan Preliminary results show that Paekakariki resident and independent candiate Jenny Rowan has been elected, following in the footsteps of Georgina Beyer who, when elected as Mayor of Carterton, became New Zealand's - and the world's - first openly transgender mayor in 1995. Meanwhile, Christchurch City Council will not have any openly gay members for the next three years at least, after two gay men missed being elected this afternoon. Tony Milne, who has been politically active for some years and was standing in Riccarton-Wigram ward, has been pipped to the post by just 600 votes out of the nearly 30,000 votes cast. In nearby Shirley-Papanui, Matt Morris, standing in an election for the first time, polled in sixth place well behind the two successful candidates from that ward. Ref: GayNZ.com (j)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 13th October 2007 - 5:21pm