Lexie Matheson | |
|---|---|
 Matheson in 2016 | |
| Born | 1944or1945(age 78–79) [1] |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, entertainer, educator |
Alexandra Mary Raine Matheson ONZM (born 1944 or 1945) is a New Zealand transgender activist, entertainer, and educator.
Lexie Matheson | |
|---|---|
| Matheson in 2016 | |
| Born | 1944or1945(age 78–79) [1] |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, entertainer, educator |
Alexandra Mary Raine Matheson ONZM (born 1944 or 1945) is a New Zealand transgender activist, entertainer, and educator.
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(February 2023) |
Lexie was born in Christchurch to Anne Charlotte Euphemia (nee Rule) and John Walker Matheson. She had two step-siblings, Elaine and Clyde. She was educated at Linwood North School, Linwood Intermediate, and Linwood High School. On leaving school at the end of her 6th form (Year 12) she enrolled at Christchurch Teacher's Training College and the University of Canterbury, graduating in 1965. As a young person she was talented at sport regularly representing Canterbury in both rugby and cricket in under age grades.
Matheson started her career in the 1960s as a teacher, and then became a principal. [2] She was the business manager of the Maidment Theatre at the University of Auckland. [3] Whilst at Maidment Theatre, she completed a Master of Creative and Performing Arts in arts management. [4] In 2006, she started as lecturer of event management at Auckland University of Technology. [5] [6]
As of 2018 [update] Matheson was working on her doctoral thesis, examining the history of karate in New Zealand. [1] [7]
As an entertainer, she has been involved in over 400 theatrical productions. [2] Matheson was part of the Theatre Corporate, directed by Raymond Hawthorne, from 1976 to 1979. [8] Following these, she founded two theatre companies, one based at the Four Seasons Theatre in Whanganui, and then the Troupers Live Theatrix in Christchurch, with the latter running until 1998. [8] Between 1998 and 2016 Matheson wrote over 200 theatre reviews. [9]
Having competed in NZ Theatre Federation Short Play Festivals since 1993 and being runner up in the national final three times with 'Secundus', Zachustra', and 'Ancestral Fling', all by Bruce Goodman, she won the prestigious title in 1996 with Goodman's 'The Chimney'. [10]
Matheson has had a number of governance roles within the New Zealand LGBT community. She chaired the Hero Board that organised the 2002 Hero Festival, and was a founding member of its successor, the Auckland Pride Festival. [2] She has also been involved with Agender New Zealand Auckland and was a trustee for Transadvocates. [2]
Other areas of activism that Matheson has been involved in include campaigning to add gender identity as a protected identity under the Human Rights Act 1993, and the treatment of transgender people who are incarcerated. [5] [4]
Matheson has advocated for the mental health needs of older LGBT people in New Zealand. [11] In response to a government policy of mental health needs for younger LGBT people, she said: "We LGBTQI oldies experience all the challenges that other older people face in any ageing community, but we have our own unique challenges as well". [11]
Within sport, Matheson has campaigned for transgender athletes to be able to compete in all levels of sporting, and was the first transgender woman to compete in the World Goju Ryu Karate Federation Championships in 2017, where she placed bronze. [5] [12] She has a second dan black belt in Goju Ryu Karate. [12] She has been a past chair of Archery New Zealand. [5]
Matheson was assigned male at birth and realised she was transgender when she was eight years old. She transitioned in 1998, aged 53. [1] She has been married twice, with her first marriage ending in divorce. [1] She and her second wife have a son together. [13]
In the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours, Matheson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to performing arts, education and LGBTIQ rights. [2] Matheson has been nominated for Senior New Zealander of the year in 2019, 2020 and 2021 being runner up in 2020. [14] [5] [9]
Sir Russell Coutts is a world champion New Zealand yachtsman. He won an Olympic gold medal and skippered three Americas Cup victories in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
Margaret Elizabeth Austin is a former New Zealand politician. She was an MP from 1984 to 1996, representing first the Labour Party and then briefly United New Zealand.
Dame Malvina Lorraine Major is a New Zealand opera soprano.
Sir David John Graham, generally known as John Graham, was a New Zealand educator and rugby union player. He served as president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) and was an All Black loose forward; he played 22 Tests between 1958 and 1964, including three as captain. He was headmaster of Auckland Grammar School from 1973 to 1993, New Zealand cricket team manager from 1997 to 1999, the University of Auckland Chancellor from 1999 to 2004, and was elected president of the NZRFU in April 2005.
Sir Frederick Richard Allen was a captain and coach of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.
Jacqueline Emma Clarke is a New Zealand entertainer, singer and comedian. She was a judge on New Zealand Idol in 2005.
Emily Justine Perkins is a New Zealand novelist, short story writer, playwright and university lecturer. Over the course of her career Perkins has written five novels, one collection of short stories and two plays. She has won a number of notable literary awards, including twice winning the top award for fiction at the New Zealand Book Awards. In 2011 she received an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Award.
Donna Tusiata Avia is a New Zealand poet and children's author. She has been recognised for her work through receiving a 2020 Queen's Birthday Honour and in 2021 her collection The Savage Coloniser won the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. The Savage Coloniser and her previous work Wild Dogs Under My Skirt have been turned into live stage plays presented in a number of locations.
Peter Kerry Clark is New Zealand lawn bowls player and administrator.
Fiona Farrell is a New Zealand poet, fiction and non-fiction writer and playwright.
Dame Catherine Winifred Harcourt, known professionally as Kate Harcourt, is a New Zealand actress. Over her long career she has worked in comedy as well as drama in theatre, film, TV and radio.
Christine Coe Winterbourn is a New Zealand biochemist. She is a professor of pathology at the University of Otago, Christchurch. Her research in the biological chemistry of free radicals earned her the 2011 Rutherford Medal and the Marsden Medal, the top awards from each of New Zealand's two top science bodies.
Jonathan Ngarimu Mane-Wheoki was a New Zealand art historian, academic, and curator. He was a pioneer in the study of contemporary Māori and Pacific art history.
Dianne Christine McCarthy is a New Zealand scientist and professional director, who was the chief executive of the Royal Society of New Zealand between 2007 and 2014. She lives in Blenheim.
Nina Nawalowalo is a New Zealand theatre director and co-founder of the contemporary Pacific theatre company The Conch. She is known for directing the stage plays Vula and The White Guitar. The first film she directed A Boy Called Piano - The Story of Fa'amoana John Luafutu (2021) won 2022 Montreal Independent Film Festival Best Feature Documentary.
The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen in her right as Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of the New Zealand government, to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 6 June 2016.
Shona Margaret McCullagh is a New Zealand choreographer, dancer, filmmaker and artistic director. McCullagh was the founding director of the New Zealand Dance Company and was appointed artistic director of the Auckland Festival in 2019.
Tanya Muagututi'a is a New Zealand playwright and arts festival director.
Catherine Patricia Downes is a New Zealand theatre director, actor, dramaturg and playwright. Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Ngāi Tahu. Downes wrote a one-woman play The Case of Katherine Mansfield, which she has performed more than 1000 times in six countries over twenty years. She has been the artistic director of the Court Theatre in Christchurch and the director of Downstage Theatre in Wellington. She lives on Waiheke Island and works as a freelance actor, director and playwright.
Dame Carolyn Henwood is a former District and Youth Court judge in New Zealand, and an advocate for youth justice and the welfare of children in state care. She is active in the arts, particularly theatre and was a founder of Circa Theatre in Wellington.