Alice Soper

Puberty blockers: why politicians overriding doctors sets a dangerous precedent Analysis: The government's ban on puberty blockers for gender-affirming care prioritises politics and ideology over decades of expert clinical guidance and patient safety evidence.

Good to see some reporting on this.
Spread it far and wide, folks.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-...

I don't like Pride Rounds Are you raising the rainbow flag? Or waving a red rag to a bull?

People wanted to know what I thought about that men's basketball team. Let me tell you instead what I think about the whole damn thing.

open.substack.com/pub/alicesoa...

I love when you make a typo in the post everyone reshares.

It’s so siiiiick.

Open Letter for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport — RainbowYOUTH

If you want to join me in showing your support, sit the open letter here:

ry.org.nz/reinstate

I am supporting Auckland Pride 10 toes down in their challenge of the Government on the removal of trans inclusion guidelines for community sport.

Why would I ever live anywhere but here? Give a little bit of love to Wainuiomata and it comes back in abundance.

The little ngahere at the back of my place looking gorgeous this evening.

4 years of growth after reclaiming from the blackberry and just look at her go!

And for me personally, that’s my second year in a row picking up gongs at the NZ Podcast Awards.

It’s almost as if someone should pay me to yap.

EXCUSE ME! Our podcast, Full Credit, just won bronze in the best sport category.

That’s just behind the juggernauts of Between Two Beers and What a Lad. Amazing for our first season, I am so proud of our little volunteer team!

All of the sudden summer has arrived at my desk and I've had to go change into shorts and open all my windows.

Jennifer is once again, more informed than those making the laws in this country.

Appreciate everyone is out here on a deadline but I’m a freelancer. Which means my HR support is me.

So I have to manage how much hate I take on at any given time.

One thing I don’t think current news machine does enough is offer care for those that are commenting on heated issues.

No I won’t be also wading into a chat about homophobia the same day as I’m monitoring response re: comments on transphobia.

Rather not have both mobs after me in one day.

Shout out to the dude who found my website and filled in the contact form to actually say something nice.

It’s always a high filter day when writing on topics like this. So much appreciated when a good one comes through.

Alice Soper: An IOC transgender athlete ban will continue a long tradition of exclusion The IOC’s new ‘Protection of the Female Category’ plan proposes a trans ban.

No transphobia in my name. I will use any platform to speak loudly against those that claim to speak for me.

(Paywalled so your girl gets paid)
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/an-ioc-ba...

But only players with international caps are eligible.

So not a net positive beyond the current playing group.

Meanwhile back here, how few people are talking about this is also part of the issue. Feel like I’m out here saying this is bad for multiple reasons while everyone else is saying - look a Marvel x All Blacks collab.

It’s making me crazy.

Also, there is at least one more Black Ferns signing to be announced. Who will also be home in March.

Which begs the question up North, how destabilising will these short term signings be to the integrity of the PWR?

My take on all of this is — I will never begrudge players making moves to maximise their potential but will always challenge systems that fail to do the same.

Ours is currently failing to provide adequate development for either current or aspiring Black Ferns.

Should be ringing big alarm bells!

There’s a part of the professionalism of oval ball games right now which is missing from conversation.

Which is for a number of these women, due to the social expectations of our family systems, being able to live a sports dream while staying closer to home is actually the best of both worlds.

That chat is on my Instagram in the first instance tbh

So cool that “4 lanes to the planes” has been campaigned on repeatedly and never won the votes in Wellington but that this new council is getting in behind it. What a bunch of winners 🙄

This one time the lead singer, Nai Palm, of Hiatus Coyote gave me an American flag with Rocky Balboa on it for helping her unload her van.

Goodness what a treat it is to have a free sunny Saturday with my girl, to go a full house reset and plenty of mooching about.

Had been operating at such a frantic pace this last while, this off was hard to claim but so, so needed.

When they all told me they found out via a social media post, I was furious.

But then, unfortunately, it seems standard. They don’t respect what they don’t pay for.

Three things:
1. I cobble those graphics together like a collage in Canva. So no AI here 🫡
2. A plug to subscribe to my newsletter. These are important stories currently deemed to niche for me to pitch elsewhere.
3. A thank you to my paid subscribers who enable me to write on these topic.

The Hand They've Been Dealt Three players make their choice after Aupiki's reshuffle

As soon as the new calendar dropped, I knew I wanted to talk to players caught up in the reshuffle.

So here’s the story of three of them, on the new hand they’ve been dealt. A huge thank you to all of them for sharing their thoughts with me.

alicesoapbox.substack.com/p/the-hand-t...

It’s an end of an era with Allan Bunting stepping away from the Black Ferns.

IOC bullshit means I’m once again having to write about politics directly interfering with sport.

Send prayers for the upcoming nonsense in my DMs/mentions once published. And check on your trans mates cause every time this kicks off again, they’re subjected to the worst possible chat.

The last couple of years have not been great economically and yet I’ve managed to eke out a living as a contractor and next year is set to be my busiest yet.

So yeah. I am proud of me.