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Jaimie Veale, the founding president of PATHA and Director of the Trans Health Research Lab at Waikato has written an excellent op-ed for the Conversation: "The government has placed a burden of proof on puberty blockers that we do not place on other paediatric care."

Excellent news! www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Good statement from the HRC. tikatangata.org.nz/news/ban-on-...

1. Trump's Anti-Trans HHS Report authors have been unmasked, and as someone said, "Now we know why they were previously kept anonymous." It's a who's who of hate groups and billionaire-funded anti-trans activists. We detail the names in our latest report. Subscribe to support our journalism.

PSA: Everyone, hold tight for a while. I imagine OIAs are being filed presently by the groups who may challenge the puberty blockers' decision. That will take up to 3 months, given delaying tactics, so don't expect to see anything publicly for a while. Hold on to your cash for any future fundraiser.

If they can ban access to healthcare like puberty blockers for one group of people, they can do this with any healthcare for their next target. They will ban abortion again given the chance and they will come after contraception after that. The anti-choice movement is our govt right now. #nzpol

Luckily, NZ FIrst's media posts on this issue will be excellent evidence at the JR.

One way you can support the work of Rights Aotearoa is by shouting me a coffee - details below!

I guess we are officially the resistance now. My in-box has been red-hot this morning with people asking what they can do. Word on the street is that there will be a legal challenge mounted quickly. Contribute to any fundraiser for that. This is just a temporary setback.

Here is my media release: www.rightsaotearoa.nz/media-releas...

Restricting the availability of puberty blockers to trans kids but allowing them for cis kids is a blatant violation of NZBORA (1990) and the Human Rights Act (1993). This will undoubtedly end up in court - very quickly as the subject of a Judicial Review.

National on various policy areas: Health: costs too much. Cut it. Climate action: Costs too much. Cut it. Pay equity: Costs too much. Cut it. Prisons. "The cost will be what the cost will be"

BREAKING: I now have substantive proof that Brynn Neilson is Matua Kahurangi. I have seen an email (supplied to me) sent to Penguin. It identifies legal contact details for Matua as Brynn. Their legal team have clearly acted. The Matua account just posted this: matuakahurangi.com/p/penguin-bo...

No surprises there. Grok is full of white nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Quote attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, but may not be an accurate attribution. However, this is so true right now.

There is a massive cognitive dissonance in the Anglophone anti-transgender activist movement right now. Due to the enhanced cultural transmissibility of concepts in the Anglosphere and due to our common colonialist history, they can't quite figure out why NZ hasn't become another TERF island. 🍿🍿🍿

Lesson 1: Do not obey in advance. Thread of lessons from my book #OnTyranny. Written in 2016.

***Please repost and share widely*** "The Tool Isn't Broken – The Wielders Are Corrupt Why the Ms Z case demands accountability, not the repeal of the Harmful Digital Communications Act" My defence of the HDCA. www.rightsaotearoa.nz/the-tool-isn...

Labour exceeds National in party most capable of handling the economy. Labour leads National on all issues but Defence and Law and Order Record Migration to Australia Continues People support CGT as well! Government performance rating hits new low in survey newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...

I've argued that the Harmful Digital Communications Act should be reviewed and improved upon. Repealing our only mechanism to tackle lots of online harm is not the answer to powerful people weaponising the law. Please dont give ACT more dumb ideas! See arguments from @pault.bsky.social 👇 #nzpol

***Please repost and share widely*** "The Tool Isn't Broken – The Wielders Are Corrupt Why the Ms Z case demands accountability, not the repeal of the Harmful Digital Communications Act" My defence of the HDCA. www.rightsaotearoa.nz/the-tool-isn...

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.

This is "Wag the dog 2".

Maybe putting Pentecostal Christian cishet men in charge of things is not good, eh?

I try to stay away from American politics—but I want to make one observation. The biggest distraction in the history of the republic is being plotted right now, surely? The next few days will be very interesting.

The police's weaponisation of the HDCA law is the problem in the Ms Z case, not the law itself. All laws can be weaponised to some degree. The law is fundamentally sound and entirely necessary in this digital age, despite Franks' ramblings. The police must drop the ongoing 2nd prosecution of Ms Z.

Labour will repeal the Regulatory Standards bill.

As I said in my written and oral submissions to the Select Committee. "The Regulatory Standards Bill is a constitutional coup d'état by other means!"

WOW!

No shade *at all* on Ms Z's current lawyer—but I hope NZ's finest KCs run to her aid pro bono on this second, utterly misguided prosecution. She needs a team of KCs with HDCA experience to help her beat this. www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

The old “marketplace of ideas” model for free speech is under strain. It’s time to recognise free speech as a discursive ecosystem — more complex, interconnected and alive than any metaphor of trade or barter. Read how we need to rethink dialogue in our digital age rightsaotearoa.nz/opinion-piec...

The thing about Mamdani is that he’s a talented politician but not otherworldly or one in a billion, he’s just a competent guy with popular ideas who ran against an entitled piece of shit and to me it’s a lot more optimistic to imagine 1000 campaigns like his than to view him as a unique phenomenon

Has anyone got a copy of this complaint? I am extremely interested in reading it. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Rights Aotearoa welcomes New Zealand’s decision to co-sign the joint statement condemning atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan. Clear, united condemnation is essential to accountability and the protection of civilians. www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new...

Home, and exhausted! Good night.

Why is everything worthwhile doing in life hard??

This is a very well deserved glass of wine

Media taping done!

I’m heading to Auckland for the day to do some media. Coffee tips for an airport coffee appreciated!

I’m heading to Auckland for the day to do some media. Coffee tips for an airport coffee appreciated!

Flying to Auckland today to do a media appearance! Very exciting!

Taps sign

Today's reading - to remind myself of some of his key arguments.

Coffee tips are always appreciated. I have a big weekend planned - being flown to Auckland to do a media thing - secret at the moment, but will be public in a few weeks. P.

Hey folks, as news of Watson's demise spreads, please don't set aside his weighty legacy of misogyny and racism. He was truly among the worst of us. www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18...

NZ’s Maurice Wilkins was instrumental in the shameful gender harassment of Rosalind Franklin.

Coffee tips are always appreciated. I have a big weekend planned - being flown to Auckland to do a media thing - secret at the moment, but will be public in a few weeks. P.

Excellent piece from Jennifer.