Let's get Georgina to Oxford!

Georgina Beyer is our living taonga. This October, she has been invited to speak at the prestigious Oxford Union, a platform that has been occupied by the likes of Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and the Dalai Lama.

Georgina is the first Māori speaker and only the fourth New Zealander invited to speak at the Oxford Union, following in the footsteps of David Lange, Helen Clark and Dame Catherine Healy.

Georgina’s incredible life story is the stuff of legends. Captured in print and on film, her journey from nightclub singer, drag performer and sex worker to Mayor of Carterton – one of New Zealand's most conservative, white, farming towns – and eventually into Parliament as the world's first openly transsexual MP, is inspirational.

Following a successful kidney transplant last year, Georgina has enjoyed a period of stable health, having endured several years of chronic kidney disease which devastated her life. Since receiving the new kidney, Georgina's renewed public life has taken her on a path of speaking engagements and she is once again receiving the respect, recognition and mana that she deserves.

The invitation to address the Oxford Union is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Aotearoa New Zealand to share one of its most inspirational people. Georgina intends to take full advantage of this opportunity. She has subsequently been invited to speak at the prestigious Cambridge Union, and is particularly keen to engage with LGBTIQ+ audiences and communities while in the UK.

Of course, all of this comes at a huge cost – international travel, transport to and from venues, accommodation, daily living costs – and it is for these costs that we are seeking to raise funds.

Every little bit donated will assist Georgina Beyer to get to the Oxford Union, and to be comfortable and capably supported on her journey, so she can share her remarkable story upon the world stage!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105515701/former-politician-georgina-beyer-invited-to-speak-at-the-oxford-union