Georgie Girl’s Bill
A bill is being proposed in New Zealand to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity:
The member’s bill would protect hundreds of inter-sex New Zealanders - those born hermaphrodite but reassigned the wrong sex - and thousands of transgender people, Ms Beyer said. The member’s bill would protect hundreds of inter-sex New Zealanders - those born hermaphrodite but reassigned the wrong sex - and thousands of transgender people, Ms Beyer said. The bill would halt any barriers to welfare, justice, education, health and employment for the “minority within a minority” section of New Zealand.
The bill has been proposed by Georgina Beyer, possibly the world’s first transgendered member of parliament. Georgina is a Maori with a largely rural, white, conservative constituency.
Last year, PBS aired a documentary on Georgina Beyer. It chronicles her remarkable journey from being a farm boy to performer, prostitute, the mayor of her town and finally member of parliament.
Opposition MPs are vigorously protesting this bill on a sartorial basis:
“I think it is bizarre in the extreme to contemplate that cross dressing will be an approved form of dress in the military, in the police and in the prison service.”
