Georgina Beyer - the world's first openly transgender MP - is being remembered as a "force to be reckoned with".

The 65-year-old died this afternoon in hospice care in Wellington.

She was elected as Mayor of Carterton in 1995 and entered Parliament for Wairarapa as a Labour MP in 1999.

ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Beyer had a great sense of humour.

"Her friends who were with her say that she accepted what was happening and was cracking jokes and had a twinkle in her eye right until the final moments." 

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