How To: Submit in favour of gender-affirming care.
A simple guide to avoid some suspicious survey framing.
Here we are again, at the point where the mostly cis public are asked to have their say on whether or not trans and gender diverse people should have rights.
Last time it was should the LGBTQI community be free from torture? Before that, it was should trans and gender-diverse people be able to have accurate documentation.
This time it’s puberty blockers. The Ministry of Health released its evidence brief, and a position statement, on Thursday 21 November 2024. It made no changes to how puberty blockers were prescribed in New Zealand, despite what you may hear from certain anti-trans politicians or media who just don’t do the mahi.
However, it also opened a consultation on if puberty blockers for gender-affirming care should be regulated. However, the questions certainly have a framing towards regulation. Below is a guide for navigating the consultation survey in a way which upholds the right of gender-affirming care for young people.
You can find the consultation submission page here: https://consult.health.govt.nz/strategy-and-policy/safety-measures-for-the-use-of-puberty-blockers-in/
Questions 1 to 4
The first four questions are about you. How you relate to the prescription of puberty blockers, if you live in Aotearoa NZ, if you wish your submission to be published, and if you want your details removed from OIA requests should you provide them in your submission.
Choose wisely, and in a way which best represents you and keeps you safe.
Question 5
The anti-trans position is to have them restricted or banned for gender affirming care via regulation, as in the UK or in the US.
Choose an option that retains the clinical judgement of prescribers and respects the relationship between patient and doctors, and the needs of the patient..
Add your own comments about the current prescription system working for the small number of people to whom puberty blockers are prescribed, the trust in medical professionals to make accurate clinical judgements for their patients, and there being no need for a political decision about healthcare.
Question 6
This one’s interestingly worded, and has the potential to reduce the ability of clinical professionals being able to prescribe. Medical professionals with experience should prescribe. As should paediatricians, because puberty blockers are also prescribed for cis youth with precocious puberty. General practitioners can currently prescribe puberty blockers. As can endocrinologists, who are specialists in hormones, and gynaecologists.
Psychiatrists may have prescription powers under the current system. They are not to be confused with psychologists, as an earlier version of this guide did. Thanks to the keen eyed reader who alerted me to that.
Saying yes to 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is a vote for current prescribers continuing to be able to do so.
Highlighting the role accessibility to prescription through those with specific clinical judgement in assessing patients may be useful to drop in the comments, as it would ensuring equal access to healthcare for trans and gender diverse people.
Question 7
This is trick question. Which young people should be able to receive treatment with puberty blockers for gender dysphoria? All who require them.
Instead the first two options are ‘Those already receiving treatment’, ‘Participants in an approved trial’. These two call for the UK response, of closing the door on future prescribed patients or restricting any prescription to approved clinical trial — something incredibly difficult to do ethically when talking about gender-affirming care.
Option three then. Yes, any other groups. Explain that any young person requiring access to puberty blockers, having been clinically assessed, should have access to healthcare. It should not be cut off for future patients, it should not be restricted to trial.
Questions 8
Here’s where it gets to how this consultation is framed. The Government wishes to introduce regulation. Having guided you towards the idea and getting you to answer favourably about restrictions if you’ve maybe not read Question 7 too carefully — now it gets to the bit where it wants reasons why not to do the thing it wants to do in Question 8.
There will be better writers than me, members of our trans and gender-diverse whanau, who will be talking about this online very soon. About the harm that removing this already hard-to-get healthcare will do, and about their personal experiences.
We have seen how elsewhere, the banning of puberty blockers led to the banning of other hormone treatments for trans and gender-diverse youth, and wider attempts at banning healthcare for trans and gender-diverse people altogether. You’ll have heard the people who talk most loudly about puberty blockers also talk about their desire to remove all gender-affirming care for everyone. Talk about that here, or save it for...
Question 9
Question 9 is asking every bigot in the country to fanfic their fantasy for bringing the UK and US bans on gender-affirming care for youth to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Much like this entire consultation is asking cis people to make decisions about trans healthcare, right here it’s saying “So if we were going to remove healthcare from them, how would YOU go about it”.
Feel free to sound off at this point, as I’m sure you’ll have ‘further views’.
Then add an email address, so you can get an email with a PDF copy of your submission. They don’t keep your email address.
But wait, there’s more.
You can also email them at pbconsultation@health.govt.nz to share your thoughts. Consultation closes on Monday January 20th at 5pm NZST.
Maybe you’ll submit on it, and then have some other ideas — or read some submissions from other people in the community and want to emphasise their point. This consultation is anonymous, so you’re free to submit a few entries if your thinking develops, or you feel you have more to offer.
Things that fucking suck
It fucking sucks that LGBTQI rights keep being thrown out to the entire public whenever politicians or ministries get spooked by frothing culture warriors, or horrendous right-wing overseas decisions.
It fucking sucks that every year for the last six years there’s been another piece of legislation that requires the LGBTQI, and the trans community particularly, spend its time pleading for some basic dignity and equality.
It fucking sucks that this is against a background of rights being stolen from our comrades overseas, and the rise of a deeply homophobic, transphobic and bigoted alliance of the worst people alive in Aotearoa New Zealand.
However…
Take hope, dear hearts. This subject and the Ministry of Health review has been a looming anxiety in the never-quite-real for nearly two years. It’s here now, we can see what needs to be done. Like the previous legislation, it’s time to take action, to organise and encourage, and to stand up for our community, our friends and loved ones. Good luck, you’re going to go well.
Also read the folks at PATHA’s statement, they’ve got your back: https://patha.nz/News/13433314
