Nice to have some longitudinal (rather than cross-sectional) research for a change. Though certainly some caveats regarding (the decent, but could be bigger) sample population size of 317, and USAn population demographics generalizability. It will be interesting to see the next data tranche in another lustrum.
Quotes are from the preprint pdf, which is linked to here (and includes a short summary). Stray numbers are from reference citations, but hopefully I got all of those deleted for readability:
Increasing numbers of children are socially transitioning to live in line with their gender identity, rather than the gender assumed by their sex at birth—a process that typically involves changing a child’s pronouns, first name, hairstyle, and clothing. Some concerns about childhood social transitions have been raised, including that these children may not continue to identify as transgender, rather they might “retransition” (also called a “detransition” or “desistence”), which some suggest could be distressing for the youth. Research has suggested that ages 10-13 years may be particularly key times for retransition and that identity may be more stable after this period for youth who show early gender nonconformity.
Other clinicians argue that early social transitions can be beneficial for some gender-diverse youth. Some clinicians and scholars who support early childhood social transitions encourage families to remain open to later retransitions, which are seen by some as part of a youth’s exploration of their gender.
Unfortunately, very little data about retransitions exist in the scientific literature…
Five years after an initial binary social transition, 7% of youth had retransitioned at least once. Most youth (94%) were living as binary transgender youth at the time of data analysis, including 1.3% who retransitoned initially to cisgender or nonbinary and then retransitioned back to binary trans identities. A small number of youth were living as cisgender youth (2.5%) or nonbinary youth (3.5%). We observed comparable rates when examining all participants who began the study (n=317), those who continue to be in regular contact with the research team (n=291), those who had gone at least 5 years since initial social transition (n=200), and those who started the study before beginning puberty blockers (n=280). We found no differences as a function of participant sex at birth. We observed slightly higher rates of retransition, and particularly later cisgender identity, amongst youth who initially socially transitioned before age 6. However, even in these youth, retransition rates were very low.
TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf).
This data confirms previous clinical data that social transitioning is not a neutral act.
Children who are confirmed in their change of gender identity, given new name, clothes, accommodations at home and at school in regards to their gender identity – are obviously less likely to continue to explore their own feelings and change their minds. Especially after receiving accolades and accommodations by trusted adults.
If this relates to a recently published article in the NY Times, this study followed children from the age of average 6.5yrs at beginning of social transition, and reviewed them at 11.5 yrs.
At the end of the study, they are only just beginning puberty. They often are still unaware of sexual development, function and sensation and the impact of what transition means. This is a time when to continue along their trajectory they will not doubt look at blocking puberty and requesting medical assistance for that.
Social transition at the beginning age around 6.5yrs is easy. Pre-pubertal children are similar in size and presentation (with or without hair/clothing stereotypes). Children who have been accommodated for five years with the trusted adults in their lives telling them they are the opposite sex, will no doubt be distressed by the advent of puberty as their body betrays that lie. They will then demand puberty blockers etc…
That is why reviews of literature have concluded social transitioning in young children to be harmful. Because it concretises what might be a transient identity. It also suspends children in a lie, for a period of years, which is unable to be maintained when puberty hits, and their body starts to change.
Other clinicial data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life. Most who desist will in early adulthood recognise that their sexual-orientation is not heterosexual, and their discomfort with their bodies was – in part – related to that growing awareness.
There's a review of the article here, with some further links.
Given that several countries have reviewed the available clinical data, and found that affirmation only transition is harmful for minors (including social transition), why are we not asking for a review here in NZ.
Iatrogenic harm is not a irregular occurrence. It often happens when medical data for protocols is not robust.
I don't see anything to celebrate when we concretise children into a medical pathway that may medicalise them for life. Or requires everyone they have contact with to accommodate them. Especially when the treatment may impact on their ability to have full sexual function, sensation and fertility.
"TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf)."
This is not the evidence you interpret this as. This reinforces the long-held view that social transition for children is a harmful act in terms of long-term outcomes.
Thanks Molly, was just about to respond to this research.
As usual you covered it perfectly.
Confounding factors that stood out to me was these kids parents "approved" of their transition. Mean age of 8.1. Some had began transitiong at 6 years old. To me it appears that these kids were gender non conforming and their high income earning parents affirmed their gender identity, unlike in the 60s and 70s when gender non conforming kids were left to be tom boys, but everyone one knew they were female. it wasn't a problem.
What was the process by which these kids transitioned? Did their parents tell them because they were gender non conforming they must be the opposite sex.
Just as a related aside can anyone really take the term "sex assigned at birth" seriously? Sex can be determind in the womb pretty early on and that doesn't change.
This relates to the Olson et al (2022) preprint paper for the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal (rather directly, but that's scientists for you) called Pediatrics entitled: Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition. I have no idea if the NY Times republished it (I don't maintain an account there), but it seems unlikely given its length and journalistic style. The SEGM piece refers to this Pediatrics research article in any case, but seems to be mostly quibbling rather than presenting contrary evidence (as is the norm in scientific discourse).
So I decided to see who this Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine actually were behind the facade. As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW, nor even that; the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly.
It is not too surprising that the SEGM would be trying to discredit an AAP article as:
their participation in the field of transgender related medicine is so contentious that in early August they were denied a spot at the annual conference for the American Academy of Pediatrics…
SEGM's standards for what constitutes a legitimate evidence base, versus what constitutes invalidation of research findings depend on whether the evidence supports banning transition healthcare. On the one hand, Lisa Littman's widely discredited research is advanced as proof of a phenomenon happening (against the revised conclusions) whereas on the other hand, a single downgraded study elsewhere is used to make sweeping and generalised attacks discrediting trans surgical interventions as a whole. This is not an evidence based approach…
SEGM appear to be among a growing bubble of fringe groups exploiting widespread ignorance about mainstream scientific consensus on gender medicine to push an agenda driven approach to understanding scientific evidence.
But perhaps you can provide links to the Clinical Data from more reputable sources that supports your statement that: "Other clinicial {sic} data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life"?
N.B. Your inability to understand NonBinary gender identities says more about your ability to understand, than it does about the reality of said identities.
Will write a post to address this, Temp Orary, if TS doesn't mind.
(And put in links etc there). There's a lot of information for those looking into it to unpick. I'll try and get something done in the next few days.
I will just mention that your comment (as so many comments on this topic) is two thirds trying to discredit the source – even while posting a non-neutral source of your own. Kudos on the sheer affrontery. I've already read the critique of SEGM from transsafety. I believe, it too, to be a nonsense.
For the new to the game, SEGM contains many links to original sources, but some of the contributors don't meet the desired compliance requirements of gender ideology activists.
Anyway, will get on with my day, and work on a post.
"What does Queer mean that isn't covered by L, G and B?
Why do you think a support movement for L, G and B would add to its acronym a term that has such negative connotations historically for them to represent a group that they are not part of?
Still no definition of Queer BTW."
I also had follow up questions re: your definitions of +, and intersex.
Where has personal responsibility gone? From the media, we see videos of these raids, and often hear that they are youth who should not have been driving, but look at how exciting it appears to a young gamer . . . Who made the vehicles available, or did not secure the keys? Who was the idiot that displays expensive and readily saleable goods behind only a sheet of glass overnight? Why have we not heard stories of insurance premiums going up massively for the costs of the raids? I feel sorry for the small business owner with a shopfront next to the footpath , but can the front of the building not have a steel frame to a doorway that is too narrow for a vehicle, and steel reinforcing for the rest of the vulnerable external wall? It seems all National have are bashing the government and police – no solutions except tax cuts – how will that help?
I can't say I'm a big fan of blaming someone for being a victim of a crime as it can go down some highly unpleasant pathways. I'm sure insurance companies will find ways to push people in those directions if they haven't already, but it's a fine line between that and victim-blaming.
Two of the ram raids in our local shopping centre, targeted a liquor store (for the obvious reason) and a dairy (cigarettes).
In both cases, it's not really possible for the stock to be any more secured than it already is (it's already in locked cabinets – but people who are prepared to use a car as an entry weapon, aren't going to be deterred by locks)
Shop owners would *love* to be able to put bollards on the footpath outside – but Council won't approve it (infringes on the footpath and impedes pedestrian access (apparently).
In both cases – the actual damage done to the shops and the wanton destruction of stock (apart from what was actually stolen) was significantly greater than the value of the items stolen.
Have to say, it sounds to me like adrenaline rush, rather than robbery, is the primary motive.
And the cars are almost always stolen.
There are apparently zero consequences for these under-age criminals-in-training. So, why wouldn't they?
Personal responsibility? How about sheeting it home to the parents/caregivers rather than victim-blaming the small shopkeepers?
I have always cringed when I have heard ministers of health and education speak of 'kids'. Kids are baby goats, show some respect for children. Now we have a Minister of Police who speaks of 'cops' instead of police officers and then talks about throwing people into clink. Now I have just heard Suzie Ferguson start an interview about the number of cops. It is contagious. Suzie should know better.
Also we simply must teach our young men to properly tip hats to ladies, bring back Listen With Mother, and teach the help to properly cinch our corsets.
Well janice like it or not that kind of language is what pretty much all of us use every day with lots of obscenities thrown in as well ! I wouldnt worry about suzie ferguson's ditze vacuousness either since in the fare dished up for our digestion every morn by rnz's dolop of infotainment she's just par for the course !!
I often think how nice it'd be to sack the lot of them .Let all the overpaid posers go get jobs at cnn or bbc which they love so much and give nz back a serious news service again sans all the hoopla fanfare musac drumbeats and general breathless bullshit !
NZ Herald, 7 May 2022, p C1: "It's raining money for water consultants" (report states that the government has spent $21 million on consultants and contractors to sell the idea of the Three Waters reforms to the public).
Surely officials and the relevant minister should be capable of explaining the proposals without blowing vast sums of taxpayer dollars on expensive promotions?
The merit (or otherwise) of the programme should also be clear.
Years ago National PM Keith Holyoake (according to Rob Muldoon) said that any minister who could not score off a question in the House was not up to the job. It seems that these days no minister can function without the support of an army of PR spin doctors.
The falling school attendance is likely going to be a social disaster down the track if we cant turn it around and fast… could well see a big decline in literacy and numeracy etc.
The declines will run far deeper than literacy etc. It will impact all of our systems negatively. Education, health, justice, social services…
I've met several illiterate men in jail. It's a massive handicap. And the justice dept was not educating (rehabilitating) them, though some were still young and reasonably intelligent.
We'll find plenty of these currently truant kids in jails, rehabs and outside parliament flinging shit in the not so distant future. And they'd be right to fling shit if there's not someone at least giving a damn and trying to herd them back into a classroom.
i have had the pleasure in the past teaching adults to read and write……i have met many of them face to face….all worked…nearly all had stunning intellects and many more again could if you like listen to your car and tell you the number 4 shell bearing was rooted and take it all apart and back together without a manual…..its attitude that counts despite what has happened to you in the long run
One of the comments I heard from the incomparable Celia Lashlie at an event about raising boys – was that one of the most important actions to keep them on the rails was to keep them in school. It was great if they were learning there. But even if they weren't actually being physically present in school was a protection in itself.
Kids wagging are kids on the streets and at high risk of getting into worse company.
If our unemployment is so low, trading conditions so good, productivity and wages increasing, and billions more coming for all manner of projects, what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
…what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
Nothing will ever persuade them. They will never forgive that our excellent pandemic response was a result of telling the business community to be quiet and do as they were told for a brief period. They fear that sort of contagion spreading – and history is being rewritten as we speak by their media arm (NZME, NZ Herald) to create the impression that the pandemic response was rubbish.
Nothing, the Clark government had the same problem despite surpluses, high growth and low unemployment during their term. Business confidence in the futures of their own businesses is high, but confidence in the overall economic direction is low, leaving survey outcomes that are inconsistent (or even contradictory) with each other.
The Herald and other second rate media outlets have declared war on this government. The world class pandemic response was not good enough for them. The new industry bargaining “fair pay agreements” bill is making them shit themselves. The prospect of collapsing demand for million dollar mortgages & lack of a ready supply of cashed up migrants makes them cry into their Weetbix. The recent revelations about slavery and disgusting exploitation of “essential workers” rife throughout the economy, and the supposed “labour shortages” are making them piss and moan.
National and their mates hate workers, want them to have low wages and pay all the tax, while the fat cats avoid their responsibilities and get richer.
All of those were covered as the wife/parent of NZ citizens (healthcare during a pregnancy is covered for unborn babies who will be NZ citizens by birth when they are born regardless of parental immigration status; wouldn't come up for the state house, benefits or working for families if the husband/father was the applicant), so I doubt anyone thought to check, or even if they did, wouldn't have anything to report because eligibility could be established in other ways if specifically asked.
Though I don't own one, I'm sure you are correct. But isn't the idea to piss-off the owners of SUVs, especially those who are "playing" by owning them?
That the group disapprove of EVs doesn't concern me. I also have reservations about them.
I do though, think the group is making a mistake by leaving an explanatory note.
That makes their protest seem very "preachy" and easier to dismiss.
Yep the road to peace is fight till the last ukrainian swamp the place with ever more weapons and tank your own and everybody else's economies way to go !!
The bus subsidy is nice in principle, but the way that the ORC is implementing it is, well; orcish! Look at this nonsense (once you press the: Bus Alerts, button; it didn’t come over with the link) – the simple method (for bus passengers) would be to have the timetables updated to account for cancelations. But no, instead you have to juggle back and forth through multiple tabs (good luck on a mobile) to decipher possible times for routes.
Fair enough that drivers who have COVID can't drive – though you'd think that management might have been able to predict that in a Pandemic and hire more drivers in preparation (but with the work pay and conditions, there's not much interest). As for planning for increased usage with the public transport subsidy:
ORC transport manager Doug Rodgers said the council was pleased to be able to offer the half-price fares "and expect more people will want to jump on, especially at peak times".
"However, services are already disrupted, so if more people catch the bus than usual, we may hit full capacity on individual routes well before they get to their destination.
“Due to drivers isolating or being ill due to Covid, a national driver shortage and the recent increase in capacity provided for school services, we will be unable to provide extra services," Mr Rodgers said.
Yet with all its incompetence and public frustration, the ORC still clings onto the the Dunedin bus service despite the DCC having expressed interest in running it themselves. The standard large vehicles that can be shuffled around Otago providers, are simply too big for many Dunedin streets:
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the case for sticking with regional council control had not been made convincingly, "and until it is it’s hard to have a real conversation about future arrangements".
The only other thing worth discussing at such a meeting would be how the regional council saw the city having meaningful decision-making influence over the bus service, he said…
Regional council chairman Andrew Noone said continuing dialogue would be useful.
Deputy chairman Michael Laws said it was anachronistic for regional councils to have responsibility for public transport.
Regional councillor Hilary Calvert said the councils should be clear about where the responsibilities of each lay…
City councillor {& 2nd place for mayor in 2019} Lee Vandervis said the regional council had been clear it did not want the Dunedin City Council trying to run the bus service or take over public transport.
Unfortunately public health workers are seen as a cost not a profit making enterprise, industrial action unsupported by sympathy strikes in the profit making sector of the economy is doomed to failure.
To win their strike action the health workers need the support of the private sector unions to really press their case..
Zimbabwe had the best public health system in Africa.
Under Mugabe dictatorship the public health sector was underfunded, when the Nurses and Drs struck for more funding. Mugabe just privatised the whole sector. When Mugabe himself became ill, like other member of the Zimbabwe wealthy elite, Mugabe sought medical treatment overseas.
Mugabe died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in Singapore
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David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
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Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
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Nice to have some longitudinal (rather than cross-sectional) research for a change. Though certainly some caveats regarding (the decent, but could be bigger) sample population size of 317, and USAn population demographics generalizability. It will be interesting to see the next data tranche in another lustrum.
Quotes are from the preprint pdf, which is linked to here (and includes a short summary). Stray numbers are from reference citations, but hopefully I got all of those deleted for readability:
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2021-056082/186992/Gender-Identity-5-Years-After-Social-Transition
TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf).
This data confirms previous clinical data that social transitioning is not a neutral act.
Children who are confirmed in their change of gender identity, given new name, clothes, accommodations at home and at school in regards to their gender identity – are obviously less likely to continue to explore their own feelings and change their minds. Especially after receiving accolades and accommodations by trusted adults.
If this relates to a recently published article in the NY Times, this study followed children from the age of average 6.5yrs at beginning of social transition, and reviewed them at 11.5 yrs.
At the end of the study, they are only just beginning puberty. They often are still unaware of sexual development, function and sensation and the impact of what transition means. This is a time when to continue along their trajectory they will not doubt look at blocking puberty and requesting medical assistance for that.
Social transition at the beginning age around 6.5yrs is easy. Pre-pubertal children are similar in size and presentation (with or without hair/clothing stereotypes). Children who have been accommodated for five years with the trusted adults in their lives telling them they are the opposite sex, will no doubt be distressed by the advent of puberty as their body betrays that lie. They will then demand puberty blockers etc…
That is why reviews of literature have concluded social transitioning in young children to be harmful. Because it concretises what might be a transient identity. It also suspends children in a lie, for a period of years, which is unable to be maintained when puberty hits, and their body starts to change.
Other clinicial data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life. Most who desist will in early adulthood recognise that their sexual-orientation is not heterosexual, and their discomfort with their bodies was – in part – related to that growing awareness.
There's a review of the article here, with some further links.
https://segm.org/early-social-gender-transition-persistence
Given that several countries have reviewed the available clinical data, and found that affirmation only transition is harmful for minors (including social transition), why are we not asking for a review here in NZ.
Iatrogenic harm is not a irregular occurrence. It often happens when medical data for protocols is not robust.
I don't see anything to celebrate when we concretise children into a medical pathway that may medicalise them for life. Or requires everyone they have contact with to accommodate them. Especially when the treatment may impact on their ability to have full sexual function, sensation and fertility.
"TLDR: For those who socially transition before puberty, detransition to gender assigned at birth is rare – rarer than retransition to NonBinary. Even rarer for those who transition after puberty (vide references in pdf)."
This is not the evidence you interpret this as. This reinforces the long-held view that social transition for children is a harmful act in terms of long-term outcomes.
NB. Non-binary is a nonsense.
Thanks Molly, was just about to respond to this research.
As usual you covered it perfectly.
Confounding factors that stood out to me was these kids parents "approved" of their transition. Mean age of 8.1. Some had began transitiong at 6 years old. To me it appears that these kids were gender non conforming and their high income earning parents affirmed their gender identity, unlike in the 60s and 70s when gender non conforming kids were left to be tom boys, but everyone one knew they were female. it wasn't a problem.
What was the process by which these kids transitioned? Did their parents tell them because they were gender non conforming they must be the opposite sex.
Just as a related aside can anyone really take the term "sex assigned at birth" seriously? Sex can be determind in the womb pretty early on and that doesn't change.
This relates to the Olson et al (2022) preprint paper for the American Academy of Pediatrics official journal (rather directly, but that's scientists for you) called Pediatrics entitled: Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition. I have no idea if the NY Times republished it (I don't maintain an account there), but it seems unlikely given its length and journalistic style. The SEGM piece refers to this Pediatrics research article in any case, but seems to be mostly quibbling rather than presenting contrary evidence (as is the norm in scientific discourse).
So I decided to see who this Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine actually were behind the facade. As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW, nor even that; the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly.
It is not too surprising that the SEGM would be trying to discredit an AAP article as:
https://transsafety.network/posts/segm-uncovered/
But perhaps you can provide links to the Clinical Data from more reputable sources that supports your statement that: "Other clinicial {sic} data has shown that 80-85% of gender dysphoric children desist with a watch and wait approach, combined with exploratory therapy that investigates all aspects of a child's life"?
N.B. Your inability to understand NonBinary gender identities says more about your ability to understand, than it does about the reality of said identities.
Will write a post to address this, Temp Orary, if TS doesn't mind.
(And put in links etc there). There's a lot of information for those looking into it to unpick. I'll try and get something done in the next few days.
I will just mention that your comment (as so many comments on this topic) is two thirds trying to discredit the source – even while posting a non-neutral source of your own. Kudos on the sheer affrontery. I've already read the critique of SEGM from transsafety. I believe, it too, to be a nonsense.
For the new to the game, SEGM contains many links to original sources, but some of the contributors don't meet the desired compliance requirements of gender ideology activists.
Anyway, will get on with my day, and work on a post.
NB in regards to:" As you were apparently unaware that; Ani O'Brien was anything to do with SUFW,"…
That's a misrepresentation.
What I said was:
"You may wish to associate me with Judith Collins previous press secretary, whoever that is. "
I do know who Ani O'Brien is. I do know she is associated with SUFW.
I didn't know she was Judith Collins previous press secretary.
I do believe that misrepresentation is a charitable interpretation of what you are doing here.
For clarity, suggest next time you just use the name Ani O'Brien.
"the Q in LGBTQ+ stood for Queer, until recently, this may be news to you as well; Molly"
No. I understood what the Q stood for as a word. I was asking for the definition of that word, as you saw it.
My question was:
"What does Queer mean that isn't covered by L, G and B?
Why do you think a support movement for L, G and B would add to its acronym a term that has such negative connotations historically for them to represent a group that they are not part of?
Still no definition of Queer BTW."
I also had follow up questions re: your definitions of +, and intersex.
So far, nothing forthcoming.
Another ram raid this time in Panmure so that's at least two over the weekend.
Lets hope the extra money is used to make a difference and actually stop these.
Another Auckland ram raid: Panmure store damaged in burglary overnight – NZ Herald
Since these recent ram raids began, what actually has been the arrest rate for the perpetrators?
I found this article from April 13!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300564968/more-than-80-people-arrested-for-ram-raids-since-february-1
Where has personal responsibility gone? From the media, we see videos of these raids, and often hear that they are youth who should not have been driving, but look at how exciting it appears to a young gamer . . . Who made the vehicles available, or did not secure the keys? Who was the idiot that displays expensive and readily saleable goods behind only a sheet of glass overnight? Why have we not heard stories of insurance premiums going up massively for the costs of the raids? I feel sorry for the small business owner with a shopfront next to the footpath , but can the front of the building not have a steel frame to a doorway that is too narrow for a vehicle, and steel reinforcing for the rest of the vulnerable external wall? It seems all National have are bashing the government and police – no solutions except tax cuts – how will that help?
I can't say I'm a big fan of blaming someone for being a victim of a crime as it can go down some highly unpleasant pathways. I'm sure insurance companies will find ways to push people in those directions if they haven't already, but it's a fine line between that and victim-blaming.
Two of the ram raids in our local shopping centre, targeted a liquor store (for the obvious reason) and a dairy (cigarettes).
In both cases, it's not really possible for the stock to be any more secured than it already is (it's already in locked cabinets – but people who are prepared to use a car as an entry weapon, aren't going to be deterred by locks)
Shop owners would *love* to be able to put bollards on the footpath outside – but Council won't approve it (infringes on the footpath and impedes pedestrian access (apparently).
In both cases – the actual damage done to the shops and the wanton destruction of stock (apart from what was actually stolen) was significantly greater than the value of the items stolen.
Have to say, it sounds to me like adrenaline rush, rather than robbery, is the primary motive.
And the cars are almost always stolen.
There are apparently zero consequences for these under-age criminals-in-training. So, why wouldn't they?
Personal responsibility? How about sheeting it home to the parents/caregivers rather than victim-blaming the small shopkeepers?
Chloe Swarbrick rolls out the kind of writing that Jacinda Ardern would have done in her first year as PM.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Climate change has arrived while politicians argue the status quo – NZ Herald
I have always cringed when I have heard ministers of health and education speak of 'kids'. Kids are baby goats, show some respect for children. Now we have a Minister of Police who speaks of 'cops' instead of police officers and then talks about throwing people into clink. Now I have just heard Suzie Ferguson start an interview about the number of cops. It is contagious. Suzie should know better.
Also we simply must teach our young men to properly tip hats to ladies, bring back Listen With Mother, and teach the help to properly cinch our corsets.
Well janice like it or not that kind of language is what pretty much all of us use every day with lots of obscenities thrown in as well ! I wouldnt worry about suzie ferguson's ditze vacuousness either since in the fare dished up for our digestion every morn by rnz's dolop of infotainment she's just par for the course !!
I often think how nice it'd be to sack the lot of them .Let all the overpaid posers go get jobs at cnn or bbc which they love so much and give nz back a serious news service again sans all the hoopla fanfare musac drumbeats and general breathless bullshit !
We can but dream alas
Couldn't agree more Weston but we must insist on Home Counties Accents as well as ties to be worn by wireless announcers. Standards man, standards!
Here here,give that man a hand clap.
thank you for confirming just how fecked up we are….no wonder its all such a mess.
NZ Herald, 7 May 2022, p C1: "It's raining money for water consultants" (report states that the government has spent $21 million on consultants and contractors to sell the idea of the Three Waters reforms to the public).
Surely officials and the relevant minister should be capable of explaining the proposals without blowing vast sums of taxpayer dollars on expensive promotions?
The merit (or otherwise) of the programme should also be clear.
Years ago National PM Keith Holyoake (according to Rob Muldoon) said that any minister who could not score off a question in the House was not up to the job. It seems that these days no minister can function without the support of an army of PR spin doctors.
Nice work if you can get it.
And $51 million for a bike bridge that never went ahead.
The falling school attendance is likely going to be a social disaster down the track if we cant turn it around and fast… could well see a big decline in literacy and numeracy etc.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/school-principals-concerned-for-thousands-of-absent-children/HIWYXXVBVESOCNOWESWYU5BTIM/
The declines will run far deeper than literacy etc. It will impact all of our systems negatively. Education, health, justice, social services…
I've met several illiterate men in jail. It's a massive handicap. And the justice dept was not educating (rehabilitating) them, though some were still young and reasonably intelligent.
We'll find plenty of these currently truant kids in jails, rehabs and outside parliament flinging shit in the not so distant future. And they'd be right to fling shit if there's not someone at least giving a damn and trying to herd them back into a classroom.
i have had the pleasure in the past teaching adults to read and write……i have met many of them face to face….all worked…nearly all had stunning intellects and many more again could if you like listen to your car and tell you the number 4 shell bearing was rooted and take it all apart and back together without a manual…..its attitude that counts despite what has happened to you in the long run
Parenting…or the lack of.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466753/funding-for-services-to-educate-support-youth-needed-to-combat-ram-raids-say-community-leaders
One of the comments I heard from the incomparable Celia Lashlie at an event about raising boys – was that one of the most important actions to keep them on the rails was to keep them in school. It was great if they were learning there. But even if they weren't actually being physically present in school was a protection in itself.
Kids wagging are kids on the streets and at high risk of getting into worse company.
If our unemployment is so low, trading conditions so good, productivity and wages increasing, and billions more coming for all manner of projects, what would it take to persuade the business community that Labour are actually doing a good job?
Scomo is basically trying that narrative in the Aussie …election.
Seems to require something akin to a stroke.
Falling down/seeing a bright light/ hearing the voice of God.
Euripides apparently described it so well that it was adopted at the highest level.
Nothing will ever persuade them. They will never forgive that our excellent pandemic response was a result of telling the business community to be quiet and do as they were told for a brief period. They fear that sort of contagion spreading – and history is being rewritten as we speak by their media arm (NZME, NZ Herald) to create the impression that the pandemic response was rubbish.
In some respects the same could be said of the rest generally dissatisfied with Labour:
“The more things improve, the louder become the exclamations about their badness.”
Nothing, the Clark government had the same problem despite surpluses, high growth and low unemployment during their term. Business confidence in the futures of their own businesses is high, but confidence in the overall economic direction is low, leaving survey outcomes that are inconsistent (or even contradictory) with each other.
The Herald and other second rate media outlets have declared war on this government. The world class pandemic response was not good enough for them. The new industry bargaining “fair pay agreements” bill is making them shit themselves. The prospect of collapsing demand for million dollar mortgages & lack of a ready supply of cashed up migrants makes them cry into their Weetbix. The recent revelations about slavery and disgusting exploitation of “essential workers” rife throughout the economy, and the supposed “labour shortages” are making them piss and moan.
National and their mates hate workers, want them to have low wages and pay all the tax, while the fat cats avoid their responsibilities and get richer.
How can you give birth to 2 children ,live in a State house in NZ and be an overstayer for so long without being…detected?
Woman who has overstayed in NZ for 16 years granted residence due to family ties | Stuff.co.nz
Several million White migrants have managed it for 180 years in plain sight.
Top work on straight out racism there.
All of those were covered as the wife/parent of NZ citizens (healthcare during a pregnancy is covered for unborn babies who will be NZ citizens by birth when they are born regardless of parental immigration status; wouldn't come up for the state house, benefits or working for families if the husband/father was the applicant), so I doubt anyone thought to check, or even if they did, wouldn't have anything to report because eligibility could be established in other ways if specifically asked.
Who the hell are these people?
Surely letting down people's tyres will increase carbon if vehicles then need to be towed etc. And seems like they don't even like electric vehicles!
'These people are just insane': AM hosts lash out at climate change group deflating tyres (msn.com)
They are 3 "AM hosts" so far as I can tell from the link and you're right, they seem to be disconnected from reality.
But it would piss you off if they deflated the tyres on your new EV.
Bit of an own goal really.
Though I don't own one, I'm sure you are correct. But isn't the idea to piss-off the owners of SUVs, especially those who are "playing" by owning them?
That the group disapprove of EVs doesn't concern me. I also have reservations about them.
I do though, think the group is making a mistake by leaving an explanatory note.
That makes their protest seem very "preachy" and easier to dismiss.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's address to the nation commemorating the end of WW2 in Europe.
Ukraine will prevail. Freedom and security will win, just as freedom and security triumphed over servitude, violence and dictatorship 77 years ago
Yep the road to peace is fight till the last ukrainian swamp the place with ever more weapons and tank your own and everybody else's economies way to go !!
Or depose Poots and throw the towel in.
https://twitter.com/JuliaDavisNews/status/1523036461595242498
The bus subsidy is nice in principle, but the way that the ORC is implementing it is, well; orcish! Look at this nonsense (once you press the: Bus Alerts, button; it didn’t come over with the link) – the simple method (for bus passengers) would be to have the timetables updated to account for cancelations. But no, instead you have to juggle back and forth through multiple tabs (good luck on a mobile) to decipher possible times for routes.
https://www.orc.govt.nz/public-transport/dunedin-buses
Fair enough that drivers who have COVID can't drive – though you'd think that management might have been able to predict that in a Pandemic and hire more drivers in preparation (but with the work pay and conditions, there's not much interest). As for planning for increased usage with the public transport subsidy:
https://www.odt.co.nz/the-star/those-who-can-urged-travel-outside-peak
Yet with all its incompetence and public frustration, the ORC still clings onto the the Dunedin bus service despite the DCC having expressed interest in running it themselves. The standard large vehicles that can be shuffled around Otago providers, are simply too big for many Dunedin streets:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bus-service-shared-issue-councillors
Ten thousand DHB health workers take industrial action https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466745/allied-health-workers-start-industrial-action
Unfortunately public health workers are seen as a cost not a profit making enterprise, industrial action unsupported by sympathy strikes in the profit making sector of the economy is doomed to failure.
To win their strike action the health workers need the support of the private sector unions to really press their case..
Zimbabwe had the best public health system in Africa.
Under Mugabe dictatorship the public health sector was underfunded, when the Nurses and Drs struck for more funding. Mugabe just privatised the whole sector. When Mugabe himself became ill, like other member of the Zimbabwe wealthy elite, Mugabe sought medical treatment overseas.
Mugabe died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in Singapore