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Biography: Rupe, Carmen Tione

Carmen Rupe and Georgina Beyer, 2006

Carmen Rupe and Georgina Beyer, 2006

Carmen Rupe (left) and Georgina Beyer pose at Parliament in 2006. These trailblazing transwomen were champions of transgender rights and visibility in New Zealand.  

The pair first met in the 1970s when Georgina worked at Carmen’s Coffee Lounge. Although Carmen’s campaign to become mayor of Wellington in 1977 ended in defeat, she led the way for transgender people to enter politics.

Using this item

New Zealand Herald

Reference: 101006NZHMMCARMEN1.JPG

by Mark Mitchell

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

Lynette Townsend. 'Rupe, Carmen Tione', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2020. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/47033/carmen-rupe-and-georgina-beyer-2006 (accessed 4 June 2026).