Lexie Matheson

Alexandra Mary Raine Matheson (born 1944 or 1945) is a New Zealand transgender activist, entertainer, and educator.

Early life

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.

Career

Matheson started her career in the 1960s as a teacher, and then became a principal. She was the business manager of the Maidment Theatre at the University of Auckland. Whilst at Maidment Theatre, she completed a Master of Creative and Performing Arts in arts management. In 2006, she started as lecturer of event management at Auckland University of Technology.

Matheson was working on her doctoral thesis, examining the history of karate in New Zealand.

As an entertainer, she has been involved in over 400 theatrical productions. Matheson was part of the Theatre Corporate, directed by Raymond Hawthorne, from 1976 to 1979. 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. Between 1998 and 2016 Matheson wrote over 200 theatre reviews.

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'.

Activism and community work

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. She has also been involved with Agender New Zealand Auckland and was a trustee for Transadvocates.

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.

Matheson has advocated for the mental health needs of older LGBT people in New Zealand. 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".

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. She has a second dan black belt in Goju Ryu Karate. She has been a past chair of Archery New Zealand.

Personal life

Matheson was assigned male at birth and realised she was transgender when she was eight years old. She transitioned in 1998, aged 53. She has been married twice, with her first marriage ending in divorce. She and her second wife have a son together.

Honours and awards

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.
Matheson has been nominated for Senior New Zealander of the year in 2019, 2020 and 2021 being runner up in 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matheson, Lexie
Year of birth missing (living people)
1940s births
Living people
New Zealand LGBTQ rights activists
New Zealand transgender women
Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand female karateka
Transgender rights activists
Transgender sportswomen
20th-century New Zealand sportswomen