Step by step

The Los Angeles Times has a profile on Stu Rasmussen, the newly elected mayor of Silverton, Oregon. Rasmussen is believed to be the first transgender mayor in the U.S.

The article reminded me of a documentary I saw at the 2002 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Titled Georgie Girl, the film chronicled the life of Georgina Beyer, a transgendered woman who became a member of the New Zealand parliament:

What are the chances that a former prostitute of Maori descent could be elected a Member of the Parliament of New Zealand? Or of any parliament in the world? What if that person were also a transsexual? The odds may seem insurmountable, but such is the exhilarating story of Georgina Beyer as told in "Georgie Girl."

Georgina Beyer, neé George Bertrand, is very likely the first transsexual in the world elected to a national office. Even more astounding is that she was sent to the New Zealand Parliament by a mostly white, rural, conservative constituency that was perfectly aware of her background. It's a circumstance that says something about the disenchantment of New Zealand's voters with politics-as-usual, and a lot about the irrepressible politician whom everyone calls "Georgina."