Hayley

Cabinet has agreed to introduce new safeguards on the prescribing of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, while ensuring patients with medical needs can continue to access appropriate care, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "We are putting in place stronger safeguards so families can have confidence that any treatment is clinically sound and in the best interests of the young person or child. "Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues play an important role in treating a range of medical conditions. We are ensuring they remain available for patients who need them for conditions such as early-onset puberty, endometriosis, or prostate cancer, where there is strong clinical evidence of benefit." The Ministry of Health’s evidence brief found that there is a lack of high-quality evidence that demonstrates the benefits or risks of the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence. While this uncertainty persists, the Government is taking a precautionary approach. Following public consultation, Cabinet has agreed to introduce new regulations under the Medicines Act to align New Zealand's approach with the United Kingdom: New patients seeking treatment for gender dysphoria or incongruence can no longer be prescribed gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, pending the completion of the United Kingdom's clinical trial on their use in this context. Ensure existing youth gender services are maintained for young people experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence and bringing these services together through a central, accessible online resource. "These changes will ensure a more consistent and carefully monitored approach. This mirrors steps taken in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, where additional safeguards have recently been implemented to ensure decisions are made in line with the best available evidence," Mr Brown says. The new approach will not impact patients cu…

It's being reported that New Zealand has banned puberty blockers for transgender youth. I removed New Zealand from my recommendations to families fleeing a while back after the far right saw a surge in power in the country.

Sad day for NZ trans youth.

It’s my position that the MCNZ needs to MAKE SOME NOISE. Because if governments are allowed to make medical policy without input from health care professionals, it’s a slippery slope downwards. What’s next? ADHD meds? Contraceptives? Refusing meds to ‘drop kicks’ (to quote Seymour) ???

Because this is not good medical practice ( because it ignores evidence that gender affirming care does improve outcomes) and does not protect trans youth who are members of the public just like the rest of us.

Medical Council of NZ’s main role is “Whakahaumaru i te iwi whānui, whakatuarā te kounga o te tikanga rata. We protect the public and promote good medical practice.” I have emailed them tonight to ask what their actions will be regarding this political interference in the delivery of medical care.

The cruelty is a feature. It’s not ok. We must must must protect trans kids #TransRightsAreHumanRights

You got ultra religious people as Ministers and a fringe minority party full of conspiracy theorists and this is what you get. They are in a symbiotic relationship based on hating queer people.

I feel like it's hopeless to keep pointing out that this is going to kill children. You say it over and over again and somehow it never seems to matter.

Puberty blockers saved my sons life. We fled from the US so he could continue to live his best life here. We cannot let this BS puberty blocker ban stand in Aotearoa! We need to fight this now!

Kattretina: a trans woman entered the bathroom while I was washing my hands. I told her I liked her lipstick. She said she liked my purse. She went into the stall. I dried my hands and left. That’s it. That was the entire interaction. I’ve never had a negative interaction with a trans person. Men, on the other hand, began harassing me when I was 12.

The problem has never been trans people.

The problem has alway been men with power and privilege who think they have the right to systemically, deliberately dehumanise and oppress anyone who doesn’t look like them in every single sphere of life.

Violence in policy is still violence in practice.

A person with purple shoulder length hair, gold hoop earrings, yellow cowboy hat with a rainbow heart pin in the centre and a yellow jacket with rainbow fringe. The words “Trans rights are human rights” appear above them. - Artist credit Liberal Jane

Trans rights are human rights. 🏳️‍⚧️

Artist credit @liberaljane.bsky.social

“When ideas and rhetoric of a debate rule out Black people and women and LGBTQ+ folks as full, valued, rational interlocutors, we no longer have a debate. We have an occasion for bigotry and exclusion to be given undue credence and spurious moral authority.” - Kate Manne

Apropos of everything. 🏳️‍⚧️

If you read one thing today, make it this - the deepest dive I’ve seen yet tying all of the many things to worry about on the school curriculum together in one place, and underlining concerning links to both the Atlas Network and Project 2025 - links that we can’t afford to ignore in any reporting.

Such an asset, was so impressed - leadership to follow for sure.

How far has police culture come since the Louise Nicholas case and the Bazley report? In 2007, an independent inquiry uncovered a ‘male-oriented’ police culture ‘sceptical of sexual assault victims’. What's changed?

“How much has police culture changed in the intervening decades? A close reading of the IPCA report, alongside the Bazley report from 2007, would suggest the answer is “too little”.” #nzpol #RapeCulture

… in which Smithers explains why Springfield loves Mr Burns.

#nzpol #lolibertarians

Team, we are almost halfway there with two weeks to go - if you have any spare coins or you know anyone with some, please amplify and support - Dr Siouxsie should not be out of pocket even a single dollar after her mahi during the peak of a worldwide crisis.
Thanks to all leading the way here ❤️

Good, I’m glad - let’s get to the full amount for you 💙

Reading a post on another platform from a woman sharing how vulnerable she now feels about approaching police and the comments are 90% men telling her it’s one bad apple and she has nothing to worry about and the other 10% are telling her to stop making it a gendered issue - NZ’s misogyny in action.

Love that for us 🫠

And here I thought the phenomenon of snide dickheadery to women politicians was only restricted to New Zealand.

This is BAD and our government should be doing like, way more about it.

A huge Lego arch with a ball pit peeking through if you step through

The lego arch and huge UFO-like lights above

Look up - at the entrance you can see above to the floors above you with stairs leading in different directions, inviting you to explore - a backlit pou stands on the first staircase

The list of floors and facilities on each, titles reading Auahatanga (Creativity) Tūhuratanga (Discovery) Tuakiri (Identity) Hapori (Community) and He Hononga (Connection)

I visited Tūranga Library (hello Ōtautahi) last week and thought it was the most delightful building I’d seen in a long time, centering creativity, community, creating spaces for connection and for quiet - and for kids!
Highly encourage a visit if you are in town, and lucky you if you’re a resident.

Love all the writers, artists, comedians, and the science community who have stepped up to offer rewards - and the community here who has amplified and donated to this very worthy cause.
The power of people to work together to make things right when leaders fail is one of the best things I know.

OK team of 5m, we've got 15 days to add $27k to Siouxsie's fundraiser to top $200k.

If you can, please contribute to pay back some of the awesome mahi she did for us. If you can't, just encourage others to.

She doesn't deserve to be out of pocket over the legal battles she has had to fight.

Where do I sign??

Yeah, at this point, is entirely intentional.

I’m always tired of the general level of misogyny in the news, but the last few days have been especially rough for survivors of gender-based violence. Hugs to all of us feeling the pain.

The 932 day wait for High Court - is there another way to get justice for sexual assault victims? 'It was just a waiting game. I felt like I was lost in the system.'

“Of the sexual assaults reported across New Zealand in 2022 that had progressed to a court hearing, 41% were still waiting for an outcome after two years, up from 30% in 2018.”
It’s not just a few bad apples - the entire system is rotten. This status quo is being chosen - and misogyny is the choice.