Search Results

What's happening in our schools? Across the world and right here in New Zealand, more and more schools have incorporated gender theory into the school curriculum. Many schools in New Zealand have been teaching gender theory for several years, either through their own lesson plans based on the 2020 Relationships and Sexulaity Education (RSE) Guide or through third party ‘Rainbow’ organisations. Below we have collected testimonials from parents, teachers, and students about the many negative effects of gender ideology teaching in NZ schools. In March 2025, after many complaints from parents, the RSE Guide was removed from schools and soon after a new draft RSE framework was released for public consultation. 2025 Changes in RSE In March 2025, the Relationships and Sexuality (RSE) Guide was removed from the Ministry of Education's website and the following month a new draft RSE framework was released for public consultation. The draft is a huge improvement in basing RSE on scientifically accurate and age appropriate information. Read more Who's in charge - the Minister or the Ministry of Education? Why are resources like Navigating the Journey, that promote the gender ideological language and beliefs of the RSE Guide, still being used in schools despite the removal of the Guide? Read more A roadmap for schools The NZ Guidelines on Sex and Gender in Schools was sent to all schools in May 2024. It is a research-based and compassionate roadmap to support schools to develop a respectful school climate that meets the needs of their community. Read more Rainbow teaching in schools Some schools may not have teachers instructing students on relationships and sexuality at all, but may instead outsource this teaching to various Rainbow organisations or other groups under the guise of ‘anti-bullying’ or ‘diversity’ classes. Be aware of what these organisations are teaching your children: Read more When kindness becomes cruelty In a reversal of the old saying “being cruel to be kind”, some schools in NZ have practices that they think are being kind but, in fact, may lead to the cruelty of long term harm to their students. Read more What are your kids reading? Do the books in your child’s school library include a wide range of characters, with girls who are strong and independent and boys who show gentleness and compassion? Or do they maintain that sex is defined by interests and it is easy and ‘cool’ to change gender? Read more Your rights as a teacher The Ministry of Education endorses the idea that being transgender is a positive and ‘authentic’ choice for young children to make. As a teacher, what can you do if you disagree and don’t want to teach children that sex is on a spectrum and can be changed at will? Read more Testimonials From all over the country, parents are reporting alarming new school practices that, at best, are confusing children about the science of sex and, at worst, are teaching children gender ideology as fact. Parents are witnessing children being coerced into accepting a belief that requires them to deny the reality they see with their own eyes and to go along with gender demands in fear of repercussions. Read more The responsibilities of BOTs In the last few years, schools and teachers have found themselves in a gender minefield without the training or quality guidance they need on how to navigate through the demands being placed upon them by some very confused ideas about sex and gender. Read more

Please get in touch - we are happy to discuss gender ideology in schools Contact Us If you have a testimonial or experience to share regarding gender ideology in schools, or you are wanting more information, please contact us via email on info@resistgendereducation.nz If you want to subscribe to updates then please provide your email address below. Follow us on social media Subscribe to updates Email Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! Please add website@resistgendereducation.nz to your contacts to avoid our newsletters going to spam

For parents In the face of the powerful international lobby promoting transgender beliefs to our children, what can parents do? Here is information and advice to help families navigate the unfamiliar and frightening territory of transgender ideation. FAQs about RSE What are the Ministry requirements for teaching Relationships and Sexuality Education? Should schools still be using the same RSE resources as they did last year? Read more We need to talk about gender identity This is a 12-slide Power Point presentation about the impact of gender ideology on schools, for parents to use when talking to the Board of Trustees. If you use this presentation, please email info@resistgendereducation.nz to give feedback. Click on the Read More button to automatically download the Power Point. Read more Advice from other parents When a child, seemingly out of the blue, claims a transgender or non-binary identity, parents can find themselves alone with their questions and misgivings. Here, parents will find the information, advice, and support they seek, and a place to share their experiences. Read more Your rights as a parent Parents have the right to opt their children out of specified parts of the health curriculum related to sexuality. Parents have the responsibility of making major decisions on behalf of their children. But some schools have policies and practices that evade these parental rights and responsibilities. Read more Manual for parents One click for all the information you need! Our most useful information for parents is collected here onto one page. (November 2023 - to be updated after the new curriculum has been written.) Read more Letter templates Here is our collection of letters that parents can use as a template for their own letters to the teacher, principal, or BOT. Read more Spread the word While it is important to engage with your child’s principal and teacher, it is also important to educate the parents around you about what is being taught. Once you start talking to other parents about this issue, you will be surprised how many parents are unaware of what is being taught during RSE classes or the potential for harm posed by gender theory. Read more Don't stop now Five more ways to help expel gender ideology from NZ schools Read more

Gender idealogy in New Zealand schools - faqs relating to puberty blockers, social transitioning, pronouns and more Frequently Asked Questions What do gender identity supporters believe? • Gender identity activism i(https://transequality.org/issues/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-transgender-people)s based on a belief that everyone has an innate sense of being masculine, feminine, or neither, and that this feeling does not always correlate with their sexed bodies. They believe that a person’s gender identity should take precedence over their observable sex and that everyone else must accept their self-identification. • There is a range of views within gender identity activism, with some acknowledging that sex is an objective classification and others contending that sex is on a spectrum and that binary classifications are scientifically false. The more extreme activists say that there are hundreds or thousands of distinct and legitimate gender identities, all of which should be recognised by others. • Extreme trans activists demand that the subjective concept of gender identity should replace the objective reality of sex in all government policy and law. For example, NZ law now allows anyone (including children) to have their birth certificate changed (https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2021/0057/latest/LMS517557.html)(multiple times) to the sex they self-declare. The fact that the birth certificate has been changed is permanently hidden from public view. • Arty Morty's December 2023 substack, The War to Annihilate Sex c(https://artymorty.substack.com/p/the-war-to-annihilate-sex)learly explains both sides of the debate and what is at stake. How do gender identity beliefs affect NZ schools? • The Ministry of Education published the Relationships and Sexuality Education Guide in September 2020 which was heavily supportive of gender identity thinking. The Guide was removed by the MOE in March 2025 and a new RSE curriculum is expected to be ready for public consultation in Term 4, 2025. • Despite the removal of the Guide, and the Minister's recommendation that schools revert to the 2007 curriculum in the interim, many schools are continuing with the same RSE lessons.(https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/dont-stop-now) Parents are often unaware of the incidental discussion of trans beliefs in everyday classroom conversations. Advice on how to communicate with your school under the For Parents tab. (https://solved.wixsite.com/resist/information/become-a-parent-advocate) • In the name of being inclusive and kind, schools and other students feel they must use new names and pronouns for transgender children and must provide special facilities for them. • The RSE guide encouraged schools to support a child’s social transition without mentioning the need to consult parents. Under the Education Act, principals are expected to inform parents of any matters that in the principal’s opinion “are preventing or slowing the student’s progress... (or) harming the student’s relationships with teachers or other students.” This expectation is entirely dependent on the principal’s opinion and there is no case law to clarify the extent or limits of the principal’s decision. If the principal is fully supportive of organisations like InsideOUT and follows its advice, parents will not be informed. • Some parents of children identifying as trans are not informing the school of their child’s transition and the Human Rights Commission recommends that, if known, schools k(https://www.hrc.co.nz/files/3914/2378/4856/TGI-Fact-Sheet-A.htmlcuit-reached-the-rs)eep the transition a secret f(https://www.hrc.co.nz/files/3914/2378/4856/TGI-Fact-Sheet-A.html)rom other parents. This removes the right of other parents to know who their child shares space with in school changing rooms and on school camps. • Rainbow organisations with good funding (https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/creating-rainbow-inclusive-schools/)and a focus on TQ (transgender/queer) beliefs have been able to influence education in schools in many Western countries, including NZ. Under the guise of anti-bullying programmes, many schools contract out to activist groups (https://insideout.org.nz/for-schools/)to provide sex education that confuses children about biological reality and can persuade them to claim a gender identity.(https://thecritic.co.uk/are-children-being-bullied-into-being-trans/) • Support groups for lesbians and gays in schools are disappearing in favour of transgender support. It has become ‘uncool’ to be lesbian and the attention and compassion for the rainbow community is now mostly reserved for those with a trans identity. • In the past, children who were gay or lesbian were often bullied. Now it is becoming common for children to be bullied for not being ‘queer’.(https://pitt.substack.com/p/pronoun-bullying) Some children have discovered that adopting a non-binary persona is a necessary safeguard. What is the problem with preferred pronouns and inclusive language? • Contrary to trans activists’ claims, requiring people to use ‘preferred pronouns’ is not inclusive, nor is it kind. It forces everyone to take sides (https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/the-6th-circuit-reached-the-right-conclusion-preferred-pronouns-other-courts)in an ideological belief and can lead to bullying of those who choose the ‘wrong’ pronouns for themselves, or accidentally use the ‘wrong’ pronoun for others. • Using preferred pronouns has become a linguistic game that “cultivates fragility, entitlement (https://www.partnersforethicalcare.com/post/whose-pronouns-are-they)... and brainwashes children into hating their bodies.” • Pronouns have become weaponised, leading to accusations of ‘misgendering’ that are used to excessively punish small perceived errors in speech with charges of bigotry and violence.(https://browngirlmagazine.com/2020/06/misgendering-is-an-act-of-violence-and-it-needs-to-stop/) • ‘Preferred pronouns’ are touted as a mark of respect but they are more often a mark of submission.(https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/pronouns-are-about-power) Many people object to being compelled to use chosen pronouns, for example in cases where female victims of violence have been required to address their male abusers as ‘she’. • Trans activists, representing about 1% of the population, are demanding radical changes to the language for the other 99%. ‘Women’ has been given a circular and nonsensical new meaning: a woman is now any person who feels like a woman. • Medical terms for women’s anatomy and bodily functions are being discarded in favour of words that are disconnected from women a(https://www.byrdie.com/inclusive-period-care-5204604)ltogether: vagina becomes ‘front hole’; breast-feeding becomes ‘chest feeding’; mother becomes ‘birthing parent’. Pride in being a girl, woman or a mother is taken away. These new terms, designed for the comfort of a very few, will result in disadvantaged women and girls being even further distanced from the health care they need. Is social transition harmless? • Social transition can mean anything from choosing a gender-neutral nickname and wearing androgynous clothing, right through to adopting an opposite sex name, pronouns, and clothes and wanting to be recognised as the opposite sex by everyone else in all facets of life. • Far from being “kind and affirming” as claimed, it fixes the new identity and makes it harder for children (https://www.transgendertrend.com/childhood-social-transition/)to later change their minds. When everyone else is expected to go along with the fiction, children are learning that affirming another’s belief is what matters and questioning is wrong. What is ROGD? • Dr Lisa Littman, Public Health Assistant Professor at Brown University, coined the term Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202330)after studying the phenomenon of the sudden onset of gender dysphoria amongst girls (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7bMJd_QAXs)belonging to a peer group where multiple friends have become transgender-identified during the same timeframe, often accompanied by lengthy periods spent on social media (https://www.statsforgender.org/teenagers/)and the internet. • Some of the results from Littman’s study are: 41% of the participants had expressed a non-heterosexual sexual orientation before identifying as transgender; 62.5% had been diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder or neurodevelopmental disability prior to the onset of gender dysphoria; in 36.8% of the friendship groups, the majority of the friends became trans-identified; and 49.4% tried to isolate from their families. • Boys and young men also experience ROGD. Some of their stories have been collected in a four part Quillette series.(https://quillette.com/2021/04/06/when-sons-become-daughters-part-ii-parents-of-transitioning-boys-speak-out-on-their-own-suffering/) • There has been a twenty fold rise (https://www.statsforgender.org/teenagers/)in the number of people seeking transition, with teenagers hugely-overrepresented. Between 2007 and 2017, the number of transgender youth clinics in the US (https://www.statsforgender.org/teenagers/)went from 1 to 41 and the number continues to increase. • A survey in the UK (https://www.transgendertrend.com/nhs-ccg-referral-rates-young-people-gender-dysphoria/)has found a 15 fold increase in children being referred for gender treatment since 2010, and also a marked regional difference with referrals in Blackpool three times the national rate. • In this 5 minute video, Abigail Shrier (https://www.prageru.com/video/why-girls-become-boys)explains the phenomenon of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) and its tragic effects on a generation of (mostly) girls. Shrier is the author of Irreversible Damage: the transgender craze seducing our daughters. What is the problem with puberty blockers? • Puberty blockers are an experimental treatment (https://segm.org/)that is too readily prescribed to young people who cannot fully understand the consequences. Puberty blockers are drugs that were developed for the treatment of prostate cancer and they have never been certified as safe and effective f(https://fullyinformed.nz/)or treating gender dysphoria. Multiple reviews of the use of puberty blockers have all found a lack of evidence for their safety or efficacy. These reviews include: • Finland (https://segm.org/Finland_deviates_from_WPATH_prioritizing_psychotherapy_no_surgery_for_minors)2020 revised its treatment guidelines, prioritising psychological interventions and support over medical interventions. • Sweden 2021 The Karolinska Hospital ceased the use of puberty blockers (https://segm.org/Sweden_ends_use_of_Dutch_protocol)for those aged under 18. • Sweden 2022 Following a comprehensive review, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare c(https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth)oncluded that the evidence base for hormonal interventions for gender dysphoric youth is of low quality and that hormonal treatments may carry risks. As a result of this determination, the eligibility for pediatric gender transition with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in Sweden will be sharply curtailed. • France 2022 The French National Academie of Medicine (https://www.academie-medecine.fr/la-medecine-face-a-la-transidentite-de-genre-chez-les-enfants-et-les-adolescents/?lang=en)recommended caution in the use of puberty blockers: “...the greatest reserve is required in their use, given the side effects such as impact on growth, bone fragility, risk of sterility, emotional and intellectual consequences and, for girls, symptoms reminiscent of menopause”. • Florida 2022 The Florida Department of Health (https://www.floridahealth.gov/_documents/newsroom/press-releases/2022/04/20220420-gender-dysphoria-guidance.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery)issued new guidelines on treating gender dysphoria for children and adolescents which recommends that minors should not be prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy. • Norway 2023 After a review, the Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board (https://genspect.org/norway-takes-a-step-forward-in-ending-experiment-in-youth-gender-medicine/)stated it has serious concerns about the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and that the current ‘gender affirming’ guidelines are not evidence-based and must be revised. • Denmark 2023 In a marked shift in the country's approach to caring for youth with gender dysphoria, most youth who are referred to the centralised gender clinic now receive therapeutic counselling and support,(https://segm.org/Denmark-sharply-restricts-youth-gender-transitions) rather than a prescription for puberty blockers. • United Kingdom 2024 An independent review,(https://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/) led by Dr Hilary Cass, highlighted a profound lack of evidence and medical consensus about the best approach to treating gender dysphoria in children. Subsequently, the routine prescribing of puberty blockers was banned in the UK. • New Zealand 2024 In September 2022, the NZ Ministry of Health website quietly removed its description (https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2209/S00147/puberty-blockers-not-safe-reversible-ministry-of-health.htm#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSafe%20and%20fully%20reversible%20medicine,fully%20explore%20gender%20health%20options.%E2%80%9D)of puberty blockers as being “safe and fully reversible” and conducted a review that reported in late 2024 of a need for greater caution in prescribing because of the lack of quality evidence for the drugs' benefits or risks. A public consultion (https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/puberty-blockers-a-human-wrong)on possible changes to the Medicines Act was also undertaken, with the outcome not yet announced. • United States 2025 The Department of Health and Human Service's review of paediatric gender medicine came to the same conclusions as the Cass review, but also provides an analysis of the ideology (https://www.transgendertrend.com/hhs-review-takes-cass-review-further/)underpinning the 'gender affirmative; approach. • Unlawful. (https://genderclinicnews.substack.com/p/unlawful?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email)In this article, Bernard Lane describes how the NZ Ministry of Health was warned by Medsafe in September 2022 it could be breaking the law by publicising the off-label use of puberty blockers for children. • Questions mount around the use of puberty blockers in children. (https://archive.ph/xPy1y#selection-1743.0-1743.322)by Jan Rivers. "New Zealand rates of puberty blocker use are much higher than the UK, where the Tavistock Clinic’s Gender Service (GIDS) was closed due to unsafe practices. In New Zealand, Dr Sue Bagshaw reports that 65 per cent of her clinic’s 100 patients receive them. The Tavistock GIDS clinic prescribed blockers to about 6 per cent." • Flaws in Dutch Puberty Blocker Study 2023 (https://segm.org/Dutch-studies-critically-flawed)A peer-reviewed open access publication has exposed deep flaws in the Dutch studies that formed the foundation for youth gender transition and concluded that these studies should never have been used to launch the practice of youth gender transition into mainstream medicine. • Puberty blockers are wrongly claimed to be fully reversible. Short term studies have shown changes to height, lower bone density, and potential interference with brain function, while long term effects are unknown. (https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth)Treating gender dysphoria with puberty blockers is a medical experiment which may leave young people in a state of ‘developmental limbo’ without the beneficial effects of puberty on maturation and the development of secondary sex characteristics. • A 2021 Swedish documentary (https://www.svtplay.se/video/33358590/uppdrag-granskning/mission-investigate-trans-children-avsnitt-1?position=3275&id=jp9dBRA)described finding “case after case of irreversible treatment of young people gone wrong", including a 15 year old who has constant pain from severely reduced bone density after being on puberty blockers for four years. • Nearly all young people who start puberty blockers go on to life-long use of cross sex hormones and their irreversible effects. In a study carried out by the Gender Identity Development Service in the UK, of 44 children who were referred for puberty blockers between the ages of 12 and 15, all except one – 98% of the cohort –(https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-damning-verdict-on-puberty-blocker-treatment-for-trans-children) progressed to cross-sex hormones. • Studies (https://www.statsforgender.org/teenagers/)have shown that a large majority (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hast.365)(around 80%) of trans identified youth grow up to change their minds and accept their biological sex. The current rush to affirm a trans identity by some counsellors, clinicians and parents means large numbers of children are being medicalised when a ‘watchful waiting’ approach would have been most appropriate. • March 2024. The WPATH Files were published, revealing that 'gender-affirming care" is leading to widespread medical malpractice on children and vulnerable adults. The “WPATH files”(https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/wpath-files) are documents leaked from the internal chatboard of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). The leaked files reveal that treatments may do more harm than good, and suggest that some clinicians who are members of WPATH know this. (Sex Matters)(https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/wpath-the-truth-about-gender-affirming-healthcare/) • In this Quillette article,(https://quillette.com/2024/03/25/banning-puberty-blockers-bernard-lane/?fbclid=IwAR3Ljq9R0Z4h_nesRMGaADswsAsDaTcifLEdlN9cj7yL-YLymbCFuBwNRc0_aem_Afc2gSna7BQYYjTjDlyA-PRpGoUxiC9GOxyYQKZ44xsvvMIt_O7Cidi51U4OVx9gCYKqkzDzRda55IPuWrPgQJzV) Bernard Lane gives an overview of the use of puberty blockers as a routine treatment for gender distress and the resulting medical scandal. • In a new study (2024), the Mayo Clinic (https://www.buttonslives.news/p/new-mayo-clinic-study-finds-mild)has found mild to severe atrophy in the testes of boys on puberty blockers, leading the authors to express doubt in the claims that these drugs are 'safe and reversible'. What are the effects of cross sex hormones? • For females, taking testosterone (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ftm-testosterone#risks)irreversibly deepens the voice, promotes the growth of facial and body hair, and enlarges the clitoris. It also can thicken the blood, increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack. Body fat is redistributed and sweat and body odour are affected. Vaginal atrophy (the thinning and drying of the vaginal wall) is usual and menstruation is reduced or ceases. Initially there is often a ‘high’ produced by the increased testosterone, with anxiety and emotional responses markedly reduced, but this may not last long term. • For males, taking oestrogen c(https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/male-to-female-hormones#benefits)auses the development of breasts, a reduction in muscle mass and body hair, reduced testicular size and sperm count, the redistribution of fat, a change in sweat and body odour and changes in emotions. • For both sexes there is a loss of sexual function – vaginal atrophy in females (drier vaginal walls can cause pain during sex), and reduced erectile function in males. Both sexes can experience a change in sexual interest, arousal, and orgasm. There is also possible infertility in both sexes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626312/)caused by the reduced ovulation and sperm production. • Children who move directly from puberty blockers to artificial sex hormones will never go through the puberty for their sex and boys’ penises will remain permanently immature, at the size of a child’s. • Gender-affirming surgery that includes hysterectomy and oophorectomy in transmen (females) or orchiectomy in transwomen (males) results in permanent sterility. What is the reality of a sex change operation? • A lot of the hype around gender identity ideology says that sex re-assignment surgery is simple and that it will make the patient indistinguishable from someone born as the desired sex. The euphemisms used of ‘top surgery’ or ‘bottom surgery’(https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/bottom-surgery) blatantly hide the truth. All sex-reassignment surgery is potentially dangerous,(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU-uzjzNCVc) often disfiguring, and it never provides the full appearance and function of natural genitalia. Young people are being misled. • Sex re-assignment surgery also permanently sterilises the patient through castration of males and the removal of the ovaries and uterus of females. Here are two accounts from people who have undergone the surgery, one from Scott Newgent (https://quillette.com/2020/10/06/forget-what-gender-activists-tell-you-heres-what-medical-transition-looks-like/)and one from Melissa Vulgaris,(https://www.reddit.com/r/AMA/comments/b09por/im_a_trans_woman_who_regrets_she_had_bottom/) describing what it was like for them. • In this interview, detransitioner Ritchie Herron (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqoAJIv97Uw&ab_channel=Genspect)describes the catastrophic effects of his gender surgery which he says was "the biggest mistake of my life." • On GB News, detransitioners Keira Bell and Ritchie Herron (https://theglobalherald.com/news/gender-detransitioning-ritchie-herron-and-keira-bell-share-their-stories-free-speech-nation/)describe the lack of information they were given about the side effects of surgery and the pressure they felt under to agree to the recommendations of their doctors and therapists. What is a detransitioner? • A detransitioner (https://segm.org/first_large_study_of_detransitioners)is a person who has undergone medical and/or surgical transition to the opposite gender but has later come to regret this choice and has reverted to their biological sex. Here is a personal account of detransitioning from Ellie and Nele (https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51806011)and another from Sinead Watson.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyMbTd1crgs) • After ceasing the taking of cross sex hormones some of the changes wrought may be diminished but many of them, especially of course any surgeries, are irreversible.(https://medium.com/@barereality/the-detransitioners-72a4e01a10f9) • Reports that the percentage of people with regret is very low usually do not take into account the enormous and rapid increase in those identifying as transgender in the past ten years and websites to support detransitioners (https://www.detransvoices.org/resource-directory/websites-blogs-by-detransitioners-desisters/)have attracted followers in the tens of thousands. A recent study (https://segm.org/new_detransition_study_2021)by Dr Lisa Littman suggests that detransition is under-reported and needs to be comprehensively studied to develop alternative, non-invasive approaches to treating gender dysphoria for young people. • In this interview, detransitoner Ritchie Herron (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqoAJIv97Uw&ab_channel=Genspect)describes the catastrophic effects of his gender surgery which he says was "the biggest mistake of my life." • On GB News, detransitioners Keira Bell and Ritchie Herron (https://theglobalherald.com/news/gender-detransitioning-ritchie-herron-and-keira-bell-share-their-stories-free-speech-nation/)describe the lack of information they were given about the side effects of surgery and the pressure they felt under to agree to the recommendations of their doctors and therapists. Are trans rights an extension of gay rights? Are trans rights human rights? • Everyone, including transgender people, has human rights as stated by the United Nations Declaration.(https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf) Trans rights activists seek to claim extra rights that others don’t have, for example, to be able to keep secret a previous identity, or to be able to prescribe how language is used. • Gay rights (https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/opinion-why-trans-and-gay-rights-differ-11592404424536.html)concern the right for consenting adults to have same-sex relationships and to have the same rights as heterosexual people. Trans rights, on the other hand, seek the extra right to self-identify into a protected group and be eligible for that group’s special discretions. • Gay rights accept that there are two sexes, the distinct reproductive capacity of each, and do not denmand medical or surgical treatments. • Trans rights (https://transequality.org/issues/resources/frequently-asked-questions-about-transgender-people)reject the science of sex and claim that what a person thinks and feels is of most importance and that those thoughts and feelings can literally transform a body into the opposite sex. Trans rights dictate that everyone adheres to the trans way of interpreting and describing gender and sex. • Trans rights demand medical and surgical treatment as a right and put transgender people, often young people influenced by social media, onto a conveyor belt of lifelong medicalisation. • Gay rights do not require others to forfeit anything or demand fundamental changes to everyday language. • Trans rights insist on the forfeiture of single sex spaces, sports, scholarships, representation, and even language. Trans rights push to censor the words used to describe women and women’s bodies – foundational words like ‘mother’ or ‘woman’ – and replace them with dehumanising words like ‘birthing parent’, ‘bodies with vaginas’(https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-people-are-up-in-arms-about-the-lancet-s-bodies-with-vaginas-cover-20210928-p58vdj.html) and ‘people who menstruate’. • Transgender activists are undermining gay rights (https://www.newsweek.com/new-homophobia-opinion-1698969)by claiming same-sex attraction is really same-gender attraction and by denying biological reality. Without biological sex, there is no homosexuality. • Arty Morty's December 2023 substack "The War to Annihilate Sex" (https://artymorty.substack.com/p/the-war-to-annihilate-sex)looks at the gender debate from his perspective as a gay man. What is the definition of a woman? • Until very recently, everyone would have answered this question with the perfectly clear dictionary definition: “adult human female.” However, in the past few years many people have become so caught up in gender ideology, or so afraid of being labelled transphobic, that they find the question impossible to answer.(https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/03/define-what-a-woman-is-organise-politically-suzanne-moore) • Despite a large number of politicians, journalists, a US Supreme Court Judge nominee, (https://wset.com/news/nation-world/ketanji-jackson-would-not-define-woman-when-asked-to-during-confirmation-hearing-marsha-blackburn-supreme-court-law-nominee-judge-scotus)and various celebrities being unable to define the term and tying themselves in knots in the effort, every woman remains, and always will be, an “adult human female”. • A female is born with the reproductive anatomy to produce eggs and bear young.(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/female#:~:text=1a%20%3A%20a%20female%20person,bearing%20young%20or%20producing%20eggs) Even if a female’s reproductive anatomy is incomplete or inactive, or she has had a hysterectomy, every adult human female is still a woman. Does the existence of intersex people prove sex is on a spectrum? How common are intersex conditions? • Intersex should more correctly be called DSD - differences in sex development. It is a medical condition (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001669.htm)not a gender identity and therefore has nothing in common with the trans rights socio-political campaign. • Intersex conditions have been co-opted by trans activists in an attempt to try to prove that sex is on a spectrum. Whether a person is male or female is the result of a complex interaction of chromosomes, genes, and hormones, and this intricate process does not always go fully to plan. In other words, some humans are born with differences in sex development (DSD). This in no way counters the fact that in the vast majority of cases – 99% – the complex process does work and humans can be reliably classified as male or female in the first trimester of pregnancy. • Sex is not on a spectrum.(https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/a-biologist-explains-why-sex-is-binary) • The only time sex is “assigned” at birth is in the very rare cases where the baby’s physical genitalia are not immediately classifiable as male or female. In all other births, sex is observed and recorded at birth. • A small number of people are born with ambiguous genitalia or internal organs that don’t match their chromosomes. Claims that 1.7% of people are intersex (the same as the incidence of red hair) have been inflated by including in the count those with conditions such as Klinefelter (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/klinefelters-syndrome/)or Turner (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/turner-syndrome/)syndromes. People with these syndromes are always male (Klinefelter) or female (Turner) who have chromosomal abnormalities; they are not intersex. • To retain its proper meaning, the DSD label (intersex) should be restricted to those conditions where chromosomes and genitalia are inconsistent and not easily classifiable as male or female. Using that criteria, the prevalence of DSD is about 0.018%.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12476264/) • Read more here: https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/the-intersex-red-herring (https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/the-intersex-red-herring) How many transgender people are there in New Zealand? • Questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex conditions were asked in the 2023 census. Having the correct statistics for transgender people is important so we know how many people are affected by transgender issues and also how much resource should equitably be allocated to their specific needs. • However, there were many flaws in the methodology and Statistics NZ admits itself that the quality of statistics for "cisgender and transgender status is poor." (https://www.stats.govt.nz/methods/gender-sex-and-lgbtiq-concepts-in-the-2023-census/) • The published statistics for the 2023 census (https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?lc=en&df[ds]=nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_ECI_052&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&av=true&dq=2023.9999%2B99999%2B999999.999.2%2B21%2B22%2B23%2B777%2B999.999.99&to[TIME]=false&vw=tb&ly[rw]=CEN23_GEO_008)are 26,097 people who identified as transgender., of which 5,000 each were transgender male or female and 15,000 were of 'another gender'. • If these figures are correct, that means that about 0.6% of people have a transgender identity. • A previous Statistics NZ Household Economic Survey (https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2021/11/stats-nz-survey-finds-4-2-percent-of-population-is-lgbt-with-0-8-percent-transgender.html)of more than 31,000 people found that 4.2% identified as LGBT+ of which 0.8 % were transgender or non-binary. Rainbow community leaders expressed surprise that the number wasn’t higher and thought some people were unwilling to disclose their identities. Do all transgender people have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria? • Not any more. Gender dysphoria is a well-documented psychological condition that used to mainly affect men. Hormone and surgical treatments were devised to assist adult men and a ‘watchful waiting’ approach was taken for young people with gender dysphoria because approximately 80% come to accept their biological sex as adults.(https://www.statsforgender.org/desistance/) In the past twelve years two major changes have happened: • Firstly, there has been an exponential rise (https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/girls-who-would-be-boys-the-rise-in-teen-gender-dysphoria-39975855.html)in the number of children and teenagers attending gender transition clinics around the Western world.(https://www.statsforgender.org/) In the UK, over the ten years from 2009 to 2019, the increase was more than 1,400% for boys and more than 5,000% for girls, meaning girls are now far more likely (https://www.statsforgender.org/)to identify as transgender than are boys. • Very high rates of autism, psychiatric disorders (https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/largest-study-to-date-confirms-overlap-between-autism-and-gender-diversity/)and a history of trauma had often been diagnosed in these patients before they announced they wanted to change gender. • Secondly, many transgender people are claiming a new gender identity without a diagnosis of dysphoria and sometimes even without intending to have any hormonal or surgical treatment. • Because of these changes, “transgender” is now an umbrella term that does include some people with diagnosed gender dysphoria, but also many people who are simply non-conforming to gender stereotypes or who like cross-dressing. Do transgender people have worse mental health problems and higher suicide rates than the general population? • Counting Ourselves,(https://countingourselves.nz/) a frequently quoted NZ survey of 1,100 trans and non-binary people, reported that 71% of the respondents disclosed psychological distress and 56% had thought about attempting suicide in the past 12 months, with 37% having attempted suicide at some time, but there are serious flaws in the report’s methodology and questions. • These statistics are repeatedly given as irrefutable fact but Counting Ourselves, and other similar surveys, are not a random sample of a population and cannot be verified against a control group. Further, asking respondents to self-report attempted suicide is known to overestimate the rate. The report itself says “our use of nonprobability sampling means that the generalizability of our results to the wider transgender population in Aotearoa/New Zealand and beyond should be interpreted with caution”. • Suicide rarely has one cause (https://www.statsforgender.org/suicide/)and it is difficult for studies to extricate gender dysphoria from other factors. Although trans-identified people do suffer worse mental health than the general population, they also have higher rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, and neurological conditions t(https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26344041211010777)hat usually predate the trans identity. Most surveys do not take into account pre-existing conditions or co-morbidities and simply attribute the poor mental health to being transgender. • Exaggerated suicide statistics are being used as a form of emotional blackmail (“Better a live daughter than a dead son”) to push parents, clinicians, and others into acquiescing to irreversible treatments for minors. The UK Gender Identity Development Service (https://gids.nhs.uk/parents-and-carers#im-worried-that-my-child-may-harm-themselves)states on its website: “The majority of the children and young people we see do not self harm, nor do they make attempts to end their own life. Although there is a higher rate of self-harm in the young people who are seen at GIDS compared to all teenagers, it is a similar rate to that seen in local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).” • There is little evidence that medical transition decreases suicidality (https://www.statsforgender.org/suicide/)or that puberty blockers are necessary to prevent suicide. A long-term Swedish study (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885)found that post-operative transgender people have “considerably higher risks for suicidal behaviour”. • A study published in the British Medical Journal in February 2024 (https://segm.org/Suicide-Gender-Dysphoric-Adolescent-Young-Adult-Finland-2024) found that suicide among young people seeking gender services in Finland is an unusual event (0.3%, or 0.51 per 1,000 person-years). The study found no convincing evidence that gender-referred youth have statistically significantly higher suicide rates as compared to the general population, after controlling for psychiatric needs. The authors concluded that "it is of utmost importance to identify and appropriately treat mental disorders in adolescents experiencing GD [gender dysphoria] to prevent suicide, while also noting that "the risk of suicide-related to transgender identity and/or GD per se may have been overestimated." Does the Conversion Practices Prohibition Act stop parents from talking to their children about transgender ideation? • The Conversion Therapy Practices Prohibition Act (https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/bill-protect-against-conversion-practices-passes-third-reading)came into force in 2023 and is intended to protect all LGBTQIA+ people from conversion therapy, which is defined as any practice that tries to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. • However, including gender identity in this Act may prevent young people from receiving the most appropriate care for their gender dysphoria. Although health practitioners (https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0056/latest/LMS487215.html)are permitted under the Act to take an action if they consider “in their reasonable professional judgement it is appropriate” many parents and counsellors wonder if they will have the same protection. • The Act defines conversion practices as those using shame or coercion and allows "the expression only of a belief or a religious principle made to an individual that is not intended to change [the individual]" • Parents should not feel under threat of possible prosecution if they are, without shame or coercion, investigating other possible causes of gender dysphoria or delaying treatment while waiting for the patient to mature. • The UK government has delayed a similar bill after the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/the-ehrc-steps-up/)urged careful and detailed consideration of its significant and wide-ranging implications.

Our latest Substacks Teach the truth - sex cannot change Make your submission to the RSE curriculum consultation before it closes on 24 April. Children deserve to be taught the truth – that there are only two sexes, that sex is a reproductive category, and that it is impossible for humans to change their sex. Read more Auckland Women's Centre betrays children The Auckland Women’s Centre’s (AWC) opposition to the new Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) curriculum would be laughable if it was not so damaging to children. Read more Parallel Dignity - how schools can respect the rights of all their students Parallel Dignity recognises that all students deserve to be treated with respect but no one is obliged to agree with everything another person believes. Read more It's not okay for schools to let boys say they are girls When schools bend over backwards to give boys who say they are girls whatever they desire, they are callously overlooking the dignity and rights of all their female students. Read more Time to start talking about the UK Puberty Blocker trial A cross post from Active Watchful Waiting Australia about why we should be paying attention to the unethical Pathways trial. Read more PATHA goes to the Court of Appeal On Monday 26 January, the NZ Court of Appeal will reconvene early after the summer break especially to hear an appeal from PATHA* about the High Court interim ruling of 17 December that gave ‘interim relief’ to the government’s puberty blocker ban. Read more Lessons in Gender A cross post from "The Ministry has Fallen" - how kids were taught that dismantling sex was moral, proper and clever. Read more The judge who knew too little and was swayed by PATHA When PATHA sought an injunction to stop the government's ban on puberty blockers, the judge heard almost none of the evidence in support of the regulation and was not informed that PATHA's 'expert evidence' is nothing of the sort. Read more To be, or not to be, consulted? Public submissions are open until January 14 on whether parents should be informed instead of consulted about RSE content. Read about why RGE supports the change. Read more PATHA puts a nail in its own coffin PATHA has released new "Gender Affirming Healthcare Guidelines" that reveal it to be a body modification activist group, not a professional healthcare organisation. Read more Red-letter day in NZ The government’s decision to halt new prescriptions of puberty blockers for the treatment of gender dysphoria is a welcome recognition that puberty is a crucial developmental pathway into adulthood that should not be disrupted. Read more Stuff breaks its silence with bias, hypocrisy and misinformation Last week the BBC was in the news for its "systemic bias" in reporting unfairly on trans issues. The legacy media in NZ has been playing the same game for years. If it wants to save itself from the huge embarrassment swirling around the BBC, legacy media needs to start reporting accurately and fairly on transgender issues or watch its audience numbers continue to decline. Read more Gentle parenting and the link to gender identity The link between this parenting style and gender identity may not be immediately obvious but it became striking during the evidence given by Professor Alexandra Gunn in support of Wellington Pride at the Human Rights Review Tribunal in Wellington in July. Read more New RSE curriculum raises cautious optimism RGE gives A- to the new RSE curriculum It is hugely improved but there are still some areas needing attention. Read more We need to talk about gender identity In October 2025, let's make the most of the opportunities to talk frankly about gender identity: A Genspect webinar Helen Joyce's tour of NZ A biased Media Council ruling The hush-hush Human Rights Review Tribunal. Read more Wishful thinking to be elevated to a human right Every protecton in the Human Rights Act for the safety, dignity, and fairness of women and girls is to be sacrificed in favour of the disconnected-from-reality feelings of people with transgender identities. Read on for RGE's deeper dive into what the Law Commission has recommended and what we can do about it. Read more The Law Commission has declared open season on girls' rights In its "Ia Tangata" report, released on 4 September, The Law Commission has proposed major changes to the Human Rights Act that will remove the right to exclude people of the opposite sex from single-sex schools, public facilities, and many sports. Although the change would also apply to boys’ schools and facilities, it is indisputable that the impact of these proposed changes would be far more profound for girls. Click to read our Press Statement. Read more Use your voice and your vote Elections for school Boards of Trustees are due to take place in September. It is time to hold schools to account for pushing gender ideology. Ask questions and vote! Read more # Not all librarians Sex realist librarians are also struggling with the tsunami of children's books that promote gender ideology. They need our support. Read more Is it hateful to say humans can't change sex? If you haven’t heard of this important LAVA vs Wellington Pride case, which has been simmering since 2021, the crux of the dispute is that LAVA (Lesbian Action for Visibility Aotearoa) was excluded from a Pride event in Wellington in 2021 for holding the belief that men cannot become women. The dispute has now reached the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT) which is tasked with considering whether saying humans cannot change sex is a protected belief under the Human Rights Act or a view so hateful and harmful it does not warrant protection. Read more Who's in charge - the Minister or the Ministry of Education? Why are resources like Navigating the Journey, that promote the gender ideological language and beliefs of the RSE Guide, still being used in NZ schools despite the removal of the Guide? Read more Pronouns as weapons of deception Journalist, David Fisher, by using male pronouns for Vanessa, has endorsed all those who blithely affirmed a mentally unwell teen’s make believe that she had changed sex. He quotes an online friend of hers saying Vanessa was “deeply entrenched and trapped in his thinking”, yet Fisher has failed to join the dots and see that part of Vanessa’s illness was taking extreme measures to deflect attention from her eating. Read more Transgenderism enables anorexia Keen to avoid looking in the mirror at their own culpability, trans activists have studiously ignored the fact that Vanessa had a raft of other serious mental illnesses; OCD, ODD, autism and the well-documented and long-standing anorexia. It was only towards the very end of her short life that gender dysphoria manifested itself. Read more The tragic loss of our daughter Vanessa PRESS RELEASE 17 June 2025 It is with deep sadness that we, as the parents of Vanessa, speak out against the sensationalised portrayal of our daughter’s life and death in a recent article by David Farrier. We are heartbroken by the story that has been shared publicly and deeply disappointed by the way Mr Farrier has weaponised Vanessa's* distress and struggles with complex mental illness. Read more An inexcusable failure The story of our health and education system, in thrall to gender ideology, undermining a mentally unwell girl’s parents and ignoring the recommendations of her psychiatrist. Read more Bamboozled by words How gender activist language manipulates teachers and parents. Read more Puberty needs protection “Puberty is the essential bridge between childhood and adulthood. We must protect every adolescent’s right to cross it, so they have the best possible chance at a healthy and free future,” writes Stella O’Malley in this announcement of Genspect’s Memorandum of Understanding on the Role of Puberty. Read more Don't stop now Five more ways to help expel gender ideology from NZ schools. Read more Picture book propaganda (Part 1) NZ libraries are pushing gender nonsense to pre-schoolers. Read more Picture book propaganda (Part 2) Public libraries are funded by local government and library managers are responsible for writing and applying collection policies, in compliance with the guidelines of their local council and LIANZA (the Library and Information Association). Because public and school library collections are managed differently, complaints to each need to be handled differently. Read more A hat trick for sex realism April 2025 in NZ has been a good month for confirmation that there are only two sexes. Read more Who needs puberty? Trans activists say that ‘transgender children’ should be able to go through the ‘right’ puberty. But the only ‘right’ puberty is the natural one launched by a person’s own body. Read more Proceed with caution At long last, the Ministry of Education has released the new draft framework for relationships and sexuality education and has opened it to public consultation. Overall, it is a vast improvement on the 2020 RSE Guide that was removed in March. Read more Keep it simple It will take patience and perseverance to break through the ‘be kind and inclusive’ catchcry. Key to getting our message across is keeping it simple. The following three strong points are good places to start the critical conversations with your family, friends, school, and MPs. Read more Losing the plot at the library In all the heat generated by Destiny Church’s non-peaceful protest at Te Atatu library on February 15, the underlying reason for the protest has become obscured. Tamaki talks about the need to protect children but none of the soundbites identify that it’s protection from gender identity ideology that is necessary. Read more

Gender issues Gender theory is the idea that a person’s feeling of being masculine, feminine, or neither, is more important than their physical sexed body, and those feelings should take precedence in law and in everyday life. Without any public consultation, this belief has taken hold in our institutions – education, health, sport, justice – and is causing widespread and sometimes irreversible harm to children, women, and lesbians. FAQs There is a range of views within gender identity activism, with some acknowledging that sex is an objective classification and others contending that sex is on a spectrum and that binary classifications are scientifically false. The more extreme activists say that there are hundreds or thousands of distinct and legitimate gender identities, all of which should be recognised by others. Read more The Cass Review The world's most comprehensive review of gender medicine for children was published in April 2024. It unequivocally demolishes the core beliefs of gender identity ideology and concludes that gender-distressed children should be treated in the same way as children with other mental health concerns. Read more Who needs puberty? Trans activists say that ‘transgender children’ should be able to go through the ‘right’ puberty. But the only ‘right’ puberty is the natural one launched by a person’s own body. Read more Puberty blockers - a human wrong Puberty blockers are a type of medication called Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. They are not licensed for use for adolescents, and they are not licensed for gender incongruence or dysphoria. Read more Social transition is not a good idea The first you as a parent may know about your child's transgender ideation, is when they request (or demand) to “socially transition”. This can mean anything from choosing a gender-neutral nickname and wearing androgynous clothing, right through to adopting an opposite sex name, pronouns, and clothes and wanting to be recognised as the chosen sex by everyone else and in all facets of life. Read more The truth about transgender medicine There is mounting evidence of the harm being caused by “affirmation only” gender medicine but it is rarely covered in mainstream media, which routinely glamourises the practice. Medical specialists and therapists have joined the voices of detransitioners to call for more careful diagnosis and treatment. Read more The intersex red herring Intersex, or DSD (difference in sexual development), is a medical condition that presents in dozens of different ways. However, most people who have DSD can be readily classified as male or female, with chromosomal abnormalities, and are not a hybrid mixture of sexes. Read more Drag Queen storytime Drag shows in libraries are advertised as family friendly but beneath the glitter is a message that children can ignore their innate wariness of strangers and that adults who provide colour, fun, and flamboyance can be implicitly trusted. Read more Human rights for everyone Under NZ law, parents have a range of rights and responsibilities that they can exercise when raising their children. Read more Comprehensive websites These websites contain a multitude of resources on every facet of gender identity ideology – from what gender activists believe, to the harms caused by puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, to the scientific and legal facts that are routinely ignored. Read more Read, watch, and listen Our top picks of books, articles, substacks, videos, and podcasts that explain the gender identity phenomenon and support parents and professionals who are caught up in the whirlwind. Also links to RGE's interviews. Read more

Resist Gender Education Voice Media Voice Media gender education schools Ep 4 Pendulum With Margaret Curnow from ResistGenderEducation Margaret Curnow 00:00 / 38:39

Concerned about the promotion of gender identity ideology in New Zealand schools? The Resist Gender Education website is a comprehensive resource for parents and teachers and contains research, guidelines and suggestions for engaging with your school. Welcome This website is for everyone, especially parents and teachers who are concerned about the promotion of gender identity ideology in New Zealand schools. On this site you will find information, research and resources for parents and teachers as well as links to other related websites. Who are we? Resist Gender Education is a diverse alliance of concerned citizens, educators, parents and grandparents, including some who are members of the rainbow community. We support schools providing age-appropriate, scientifically factual, and culturally relevant relationships and sexuality education (RSE). We are strongly opposed to schools using RSE as a cover for the indoctrination of our children with gender ideology which has nothing to do with either relationships or sexuality. We support the right of parents to be fully consulted about the content of RSE lessons and to remove their children from these classes if they wish. What do we stand for? We believe that no child is born in the wrong body. To fully understand gender ideology and what is at stake, we recommend "The War to Annihilate Sex " by Arty Morty, a gender critical activist and gay man. We advocate for the rights of children to reject gender stereotypes and be their authentic selves without discrimination, labelling, or medical intervention to ‘fix’ them. We are non-religious and politically non-partisan and we receive absolutely no funding from any organisation or government agency. We are entirely run by volunteers and rely on donations from our supporters to continue our advocacy. Thank you for whatever donation you are able to make. Gender Identity Ideology We do not support replacing the objective reality of biological sex with the subjective idea of ‘gender identity’ as the criteria for being a man or being a woman. ‘Gender identity’ ideology teaches children who don’t conform to masculine or feminine stereotypes that their personalities are ‘wrong’ for their sex, and their bodies are then ‘wrong’ for their gender identity. Acceptance of a boy who likes to play with dolls as a girl is no acceptance at all. Acceptance of a lesbian adolescent girl as a straight boy is no acceptance at all. ‘Affirmation’ of a trans identity is not kind, it affirms to a child that they are the wrong sex and encourages their belief that their body needs to be changed. Medical intervention can only ever effect cosmetic change; the child’s sex remains the same. Other children should not be coerced into expressing a belief in ‘gender identity’ through the threat that not to do so is ‘unkind’ or ‘transphobic’. Science-based Teaching Along with many other groups, we call for factual, science-based teaching in schools and evidence-based healthcare for children and young people suffering gender confusion. All children deserve to be taught scientific facts, not ideology disguised as ‘fact’. Schools should not use resources that confuse children about sex by conflating sex and gender. Boys and girls should be able to wear what they like and have whatever interests they choose, without adult interpretation through the lens of a non-scientific, ideological belief that human beings are born with an innate sense of being male or female, which is inevitably based on sex stereotypes. All children have the right to privacy from the opposite sex in toilets and changing rooms and policy in schools must always put safeguarding first. Evidence-based Healthcare We believe all children and young people deserve treatment based on clinical evidence, not ideology. We advocate for the rights of same-sex attracted young people to grow up as lesbian or gay, without a ‘diagnosis’ that they are really the opposite sex. We promote the right of autistic children and those with mental health problems or background trauma to receive proper therapeutic care, rather than a rushed ‘diagnosis’ that they are really the opposite sex. It is a fundamental human right that all children can go through puberty and reach adulthood with their fertility and sexual function intact.

Two NZ Emeritus Professors have endorsed RGE's School Guidelines. Emeritus Professors endorse our Guidelines for schools Two NZ Emeritus Professors have endorsed RGE's School Guidelines. RGE’s Independent Guidelines challenge the evidence base of the ‘sex, gender and identity’ component of the Ministry of Education’s 2020 Guidelines for Relationships and Sexuality Education. Referencing recent research and the UK’s Cass Report, RGE reject the Ministry’s endorsement of an ‘affirmation’ model, which is often a pathway to lifelong medicalisation. A school should create space for students to hold options open. And it “should project the attitude that there is no right or wrong way to be a boy or a girl.” Sue Middleton, PhD (Emeritus Professor), Faculty of Education, University of Waikato. ****** As a retired academic physician, but more importantly as a parent and grandparent, I add my strong endorsement to the opinions of the group, Resist Gender Education. Today, more than ever, our shared responsibility to nurture young minds and bodies must be informed by evidence-based, scientific fact. The Relationships and Sexual Education (RSE) Guide as currently taught in the school curriculum contains inaccurate misinformation with incontrovertible potential for harm to young consumers. This is no place to peddle subjective, confusing ideology. I respectfully urge Ministers to be guided by objectivity in matters of gender education in an urgent review of the existing RSE Guide. Emeritus Professor David Gerrard CNZM OBE MB ChB(Otago) FACSEP FFSEM(Hon) University of Otago Medical School

Resist gender education is run by volunteers, if you are in a position to donate then please get in touch Donations Thank you for donating to Resist Gender Education. Your donation will be used for: providing information to the public creating gender critical resources and training for use in schools meeting and informing MPs, Ministers, and government department staff further investigating and gaining legal advice on the overlaps and conflicts between the Bill of Rights Act, the Human Rights Act, the Education Act, the Care of Children Act, and the Teaching Council standards. Resist Gender Education donations are not tax deductible at this stage. Our bank account number is: Resist Gender Education 12-3158-0186494-00 If you would like more information about donating to Resist Gender Education then please email us at info@resistgendereducation.nz Thank you!

Firstly, find out what your child is being taught about relationships and sexuality. It is important to read the school’s policy, and also understand the individual stance of your child’s teacher. Where schools have engaged an outside organisation to provide the lessons, parents should ask to view the content. Become a Parent Advocate Firstly, find out what your child is being taught about relationships and sexuality. It is important to read the school’s policy, and also understand your child’s individual teacher’s stance. A school principal may be quite reserved about gender ideology, only to later realise that one teacher in their school is teaching the RSE guidelines using extreme activist resources direct from an activist group like “Inside Out.” Click here to read our critique Some schools may not have teachers instructing students on relationships and sexuality at all, but may instead outsource this teaching to various Rainbow organisations under the guise of ‘anti-bullying’ or ‘diversity’ classes. Be aware of these organisations (InsideOUT, Rainbow Youth, Rainbow Tick, Gender Minorities, Family Planning, Mates & Dates) and the content of the courses they provide. The school should provide advance notice of any such external lessons and their content so that you are able to opt your child out if you feel the content is inappropriate. To find out what your child’s school is teaching, we recommend emailing the principal to ask for the school policy, curriculum and lesson plans. You could also request a meeting where you can ask questions to better understand exactly what your child is being taught. A discussion with your child’s individual teacher is also recommended. See our Draft Curriculum Query letter. If you discover that your child’s school has not yet implemented the new RSE guide, let them know that you have some concerns about the curriculum and would like to be involved in the required consultation process. Now is the perfect time to send them some alternative information and resources on this topic, available under ‘Information’ on this website. If your child’s school is already using the new 2020 guidelines, you have the right to withdraw your child from relationship and sexuality lessons until further notice . See our Draft Withdrawal from RSE letter and this Sample letter to a teacher. We recommend, in both cases, that you explain your concerns by selecting the appropriate paragraphs from this draft letter, and include links to resources from this Resist Gender Education website. Whenever possible, replace the general statements from the draft letter with specific examples from your school’s policies, practices, or lessons. Letter of Concern Template Body Positive Policy Alternative RSE Guidelines How to get your child exempted from gender indoctrination Laura sent this request to the principal of her children’s school and received a polite and helpful response. She encourages parents to share the link and work with other concerned parents to tackle the issue. Saying no to school transition . In this article from the Critic, UK MP Miriam Cates, explains why new Education Department policy should ban schools from socially transitioning a child, even with parental consent. “ The need for guidance is indisputable, but anything other than a total ban on schools socially transitioning children will exacerbate [these] tensions. Not only is a ban the right ethical solution, it is also the only way to protect head teachers from being forced to make high stakes decisions for which they are unqualified. ” Pride week propaganda Write to the principal or Board of Trustees to explain your concerns about pride activities in school. A template letter is here that you can adapt to suit your own school and the age of your children. Find other parents who hold the same concerns and approach the Board as a group. Ask to speak to them. Advice on speaking to a BOT is here. Here is a template letter about InsideOut and drag queens being promoted as role models to teenagers.

Ministry of Education and school guidelines sometimes clash with established NZ law. Where there is a conflict, the law is paramount. Law takes precedence over policy Law takes precedence over policy Under NZ law, parents have a range of rights and responsibilities that they can exercise when raising their children. The Care of Children Act A child’s upbringing is primarily the responsibility of their parents and the parents are to be consulted by any other parties involved in that child’s upbringing. NZ Care of Children Act 2004, s.5 (Principles relating to child’s welfare and best interests) states: “ a child’s care, development, and upbringing should be primarily the responsibility of his or her parents and guardians, ” and, “a child’s care, development, and upbringing should be facilitated by ongoing consultation and co-operation between his or her parents, guardians, and any other person having a role in his or her care under a parenting or guardianship order ”. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2004/0090/latest/DLM317241.html The Crimes Act 1961 Parents have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect their child from injury. NZ Crimes Act 1961, Schedule 2, s.152 – Parents of children under the age of 18 have “a legal duty … to take reasonable steps to protect that child from injury.” https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2011/0079/latest/DLM3650020.html The Bill of Rights Act 1990 Every citizen has the right to freedom of belief and freedom of expression. NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990, s.13 – “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief, including the right to adopt and to hold opinions without interference.” s.14 – “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form.” https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0109/latest/whole.html#DLM225513 The Human Rights Act 1993 Discrimination on the grounds of sex is permitted in the interests of public decency, safety, and fairness. NZ Human Rights Act 1993, s.46 allows for single sex space discrimination, “on the ground of public decency or public safety”. It is established that members of both sexes sometimes need sex-segregated spaces away from the eyes of the public for decency and safety. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0082/latest/DLM304624.html Some service providers include males who claim they are women into their women's spaces because they think they have to by law. They are not aware of their obligations to provide services that are safe for women - in some cases it is discriminatory not to provide these services. https://www.speakupforwomen.nz/self-id The Education and Training Act 2020 Parents have the right to opt their children out of specified parts of the health curriculum related to sexuality. NZ Education and Training Act 2020, s51(1), "A parent of a student enrolled at a State school may ask the principal in writing to ensure that the student is released from tuition in specified parts of the health curriculum related to sexuality education." Many parents are surprised to learn that, by law, schools are required to provide a full consultation for parents on sexuality education every two years. This includes providing the curriculum content and adequate opportunity for parents to submit anonymous feedback. NZ Education and Training Act 2020, s91(1), "The board of a State school must, at least once every 2 years, after consulting the school community, adopt a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum. S91(2), " The purpose of the consultation is to— (a) inform the school community about the content of the health curriculum; and (b) ascertain the wishes of the school community regarding the way in which the health curriculum should be implemented given the views, beliefs, and customs of the members of that community; and (c) determine, in broad terms, the health education needs of the students at the school." https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0038/latest/LMS171475.html Here are the legal requirements for schools to consult with parents about the content of relationship and sexuality education and what parents can do if they are dissatisfied with the consultation offered. https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/consultation-use-it-or-lose-it The Responsibilities of Boards of Trustees The stewardship role of Boards of trustees involves planning for, and acting in, the interests of the school and its community. Student learning, wellbeing, achievement, and progress are the board's main concern. (Ref Pg 2, ERO School Trustees Booklet 2017). The purpose of a school is not to provide a conduit for political or social ideologies. We recommend that Boards of Trustees remove gender politics from schools and focus on respecting the needs of all students and creating an environment of acceptance rather than one of exceptionalism. www.resistgendereducation.nz Resist Gender Education | The Responsibilities of Boards of Trustees In the last few years, schools and teachers have found themselves in a gender minefield without the training or quality guidance they need on how to navigate through the demands being placed upon them by some very confused ideas about sex and gender. In addition, BoTs have duties as emploers to provide a safe and healthy workplace, including mitigating stress. Read more details of BoT responsibilities here: https://resistgendereducation.substack.com/p/unmitigated-stress Your rights as a parent When schools endorse social transition (changing name, pronouns and clothing) without explicit parental consent, they are depriving parents of the opportunity to fulfill their responsibilities under the Care of Children Act 2004 to determine the medical treatment of their child. We have received legal advice that confirms that, under the Education Act, principals are expected to inform parents of any matters that in the principal’s opinion “ are preventing or slowing the student’s progress... (or) harming the student’s relationships with teachers or other students.” However, this expectation is entirely dependent on the principal’s opinion and there is no case law to clarify the extent or limits of the principal’s decision. To read more, click on the link below. https://www.resistgendereducation.nz/information/your-rights-as-a-parent MOE policy does not take heed of the law In 2022, RGE asked the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Council a series of questions about clashes between their policies and the above laws. We received only the briefest of answers, advising that both organisations had not sought legal advice and therefore could not answer the questions. To read the questions and the inadequate replies click on the link below. www.resistgendereducation.nz Resist Gender Education | Your Rights as a Teacher The Ministry of Education endorses the idea that being transgender is a positive and ‘authentic’ choice for young children to make. As a teacher, what can you do if you disagree and don’t want to teach children that sex is on a spectrum and can be changed at will? In response to a query from the Free Speech Union , the Teaching Council CEO, Lesley Hoskins, agreed that teachers do have the right to decline to use preferred pronouns, as long as they do so in a respectful way.