Jacquie Grant, know as the "Tranny Granny" for fostering over 50 children, became the first transsexual member of the New Zealand Order of Merit earlier this year.

Grant has lived as a woman for over 25 years and is thought to be the only transsexual approved for fostering by the state Children and Young Persons Service. She also runs courses for children with behavioral problems and founded Moana Zoo, a 50-acre (20-hectare) home for endangered animals.

New Zealand has one other openly transsexual elected official, Carterton Mayor Georgina Beyer.

THAIS ELECT TRANSSEXUAL BEAUTY QUEEN

Thailand's annual transsexual beauty pageant returned March 29 after a six-year hiatus and 22-year-old Thanaporn Wongprasert of Bangkok is the new queen.

The event, staged in the resort city of Pattaya, coincided with the annual Miss Thailand pageant in Bangkok.

Wongprasert said she will spend the $1,300 prize money to make herself more beautiful.

The event attracted 1,500 spectators, mainly local businessmen and their wives and small children, according to Agence France- Presse.

GAY GENTLEMAN'S CLUB OPENS IN LONDON

An exclusive gay gentlemen's club opened in London in late March.

The Townhouse, located in Mayfair's Green Street, has an annual membership fee of from $82 for persons between ages 18 and 21 to $1,320 for a corporate membership. There were 900 initial members.

"Many gay men working in the city or the professions had nowhere quiet they could go after work for dinner or a chat if they happened to be wearing a suit," cofounder John St. Clair told The Pink Paper.

"It took us three years to find this building, and was well worth the wait as it is a magnificent Victorian townhouse that can house nearly 200 members and guests in considerable style. ... We will have a sensible dress code of smart, or smart casual, but no ripped jeans, please."

The club features a restaurant, club bar, lounge and private dining room with butler service.

"We aim to provide a comfortable, discreet atmosphere for our members as we bear in mind that many of them are married," St. Clair said. "They can be assured that they are not walking into a meat market."

For membership information, phone 011-44-171-352-8228.

Rex Wockner's weekly international news reports dating back to May 1994 can be searched at http://www.wockner.com.

The reports in their original form are archived at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/world/wockner.html, which also archives Wockner's Quote Unquote column and some of his longer gay-press articles.