Ani O’Brien
Politics, news, and culture from New Zealand and beyond. I share opinions, but am prepared to change my mind. Postmodernism sucks.
The government has officially announced that puberty blockers will no longer be prescribed to children for the purposes of gender transition. It’s one of the most significant and overdue reversals of reckless policy New Zealand has ever seen.
For years, activists and captured institutions told us these drugs were ‘safe’, ‘reversible’, and ‘life-saving’. They weren’t. They never were. But anyone who dared question the dogma was treated as a heretic.
It is important to understand that despite the fact that left-wing parties will condemn this, this decision isn’t about politics. The women who have fought for this ban come from all different walks of life and many have spent their lives involved in left-wing causes. This is about protecting children from ideological harm disguised as medicine and for many women that comes above partisan politics.
We would not have cared which political party or politician championed the banning of puberty blockers so long as someone bloody did it. New Zealand First became that champion and for that I am eternally grateful. When women were sneered at by the two large parties and parliament voted en masse to take women’s rights away with the Births, Deaths, Marriages, Relationship Registration Act (BDMRR), we had no one to turn to. It is thanks to New Zealand First bringing several sanity-restoring policies to coalition negotiations that we have seen progress in women’s sport, sexual education in schools, and now puberty blockers.
While I know there have been champions for this cause in other parties, and I am grateful Health Minister Simeon Brown for doing the right thing, I will struggle to forgive the appointing of a mental health minister (and the minister who was in charge of this issue) who previously worked at the disgraced and shut down Tavistock Clinic in the UK. Matt Doocey has been a handbrake on the banning of these dangerous drugs and despite being presented with evidence, data, and experts telling him that the suicide narrative is a terrible myth, he has continued to parrot it.
Ministers make mistakes, but it is inexcusable to allow experimental drugs, with permanent side effects, to be given to children because you can’t bear to look objectively at the facts lest they challenge your entrenched world view. Matt Doocey should be sacked for his trans activism and complicity in continuing inexcusable harm of vulnerable children.
New Zealand isn’t the first country to take action to prevent children from being prescribed puberty blockers. Around the world, governments are retreating from the reckless medicalisation of childhood gender distress. Whereas we would usually look to the Brits and Nordic countries as good examples, it was not convenient for Doocey to do so in this case.
The United Kingdom was the first major country to ban puberty blockers for under-18s outside of tightly controlled clinical trials. The Cass Review exposed what many of us long argued, that there was no evidence that these drugs improved mental or physical health outcomes for children and plenty of evidence that they caused harm.
In Sweden, Finland, and Norway, the brakes have been slammed on too. Nordic countries that were once at the forefront of gender medicine have reclassified blockers as ‘experimental’. In Italy, the National Bioethics Committee ruled that these drugs should only ever be used in a research setting, and only after exhaustive psychological support has failed.
And in Queensland, Australia, we saw pure drama this year. The health minister initially banned puberty blockers for children and, of course, activists lost the plot. They fought the ban all the way to the Supreme Court, which briefly overturned the ban… only for the health minister to reinstate it within hours. This shows that the capture of the judiciary by ideologies like this one is not restricted to our small island nation. Around the world the courts have been poisoned by trendy ideas and it has taken brave politicians bolstered by women’s and children’s rights activists to take action.
It is astounding that it has become a political and heretical statement to say ‘puberty is not a disease’. The gender dogma has allowed a crucial, healthy, complex biological process that transforms a child into an adult, to be viewed as something unfortunate that can be stopped. But interfering with it has profound consequences.
Puberty blockers can stunt bone development, disrupt sexual maturation, damage fertility, and impact brain development. They have never been approved by Medsafe or any other major regulator for the purpose of gender transition. Doctors have been prescribing them off-label this entire time.
Even worse, doctors in New Zealand have been prescribing them at a rate of knots. Compared to other countries, New Zealand has been recklessly doling out the drug. North & South magazine reported:
New Zealand is becoming more of an outlier in our increasing use of puberty blocking hormones… We have 11 times the rate of use as England: 110 per 100,000 versus 9 per 100,000. We also have no minimum age for prescribing. If puberty starts at 10 or 11, these children are eligible for blocker.
The New Zealand Herald reported:
New Zealand is prescribing up to seven times more puberty blockers to young transgender patients than other similar countries, new analysis shows… Cumulative use of puberty blockers by 12-to-17-year-olds in New Zealand over this period was 1.7 times higher than the Netherlands, 3.9 times higher than Denmark, and between 3.5 and 6.9 times higher than England and Wales.
These are two of the few examples of the media reporting anything remotely negative about puberty blockers or transgenderism. The rest of the time the media has followed the narrative scripted by activist groups of ‘most vulnerable’, ‘fully reversible’, ‘stunning and brave’, ‘born in the wrong body’, ‘living their true self’, ‘bad TERFs!’
In any other context, halting a child’s physical development with an untested drug would be seen as monstrous. But because this was done under the banner of ‘gender affirmation’, it was cheered on by our media, health bureaucracies and activists alike.
For about a decade, ideological activists have controlled the conversation about gender in medicine. They’ve built a fortress of intimidation around their dogma, labelling dissenters ‘bigots’, ‘TERFs’, or ‘transphobes’ to silence legitimate scientific and healthcare discussion.
One the most morally bankrupt and manipulative aspects to the ‘rainbow activism’ pushing child transition is how they have terrified parents with the utter bullshit that if their child doesn’t get puberty blockers they will kill themselves. That is emotional blackmail. And there is absolutely no evidence or data to back it up. It has been a mass cruelty inflicted on parents by and large by dysfunctional screaming adults who don’t have children of their own.
They told the public these drugs were reversible. A lie repeated so often that journalists started mindlessly parroting it without question. Even AI was taught these lies! Early last year I thought I would have a play around with ChatGPT and see what it would say about puberty blockers. Initially I may as well have been asking someone from InsideOUT about the drugs, but I decided to test the technology by pushing its logic. That was how I ended up spending an hour teaching AI to unlearn its inbuilt activism:
Ani: Are puberty blockers reversible?
ChatGPT: Yes. Puberty blockers, when used to temporarily delay the onset of puberty in adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria, are considered reversible. When the administration of puberty blockers is discontinued, puberty typically resumes its natural course. This reversibility allows individuals and their families time to explore their gender identity without undergoing irreversible changes associated with puberty. It’s important to note that the long-term effects of puberty blockers on bone density and other aspects of development are still being studied, but they are generally considered safe and reversible when used as prescribed under medical supervision.
Ani: What are the potential side effects of puberty blockers?
ChatGPT: Common side effects associated with the use of puberty blockers may include:Temporary reduction in bone density: Prolonged use of puberty blockers during adolescence may lead to a temporary reduction in bone density. However, this effect is typically reversible once treatment is discontinued.Changes in growth rate: Puberty blockers may temporarily slow down the rate of physical growth during adolescence. Once treatment is stopped, growth usually resumes.Hot flashes or mood changes: Some individuals may experience hot flashes or changes in mood as a result of hormonal changes associated with puberty suppression. These effects are usually temporary and diminish over time.Changes in fertility: Prolonged use of puberty blockers may potentially affect fertility by delaying the development of reproductive organs. However, fertility is typically preserved if puberty blockers are stopped, allowing puberty to proceed naturally.Altered sexual development: Delaying puberty with blockers may affect the development of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development or facial hair growth. These changes can be reversed if treatment is discontinued.Potential impact on mental health: While puberty blockers are generally considered safe, some individuals may experience psychological distress related to their gender dysphoria or concerns about their development. Access to mental health support is essential for individuals undergoing gender-affirming care.
It’s important to note that the potential benefits of puberty blockers, such as alleviating gender dysphoria and providing time for exploration of gender identity, often outweigh the risks for many transgender adolescents…
Ani: What else are puberty blockers used for?
ChatGPT: Puberty blockers, also known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, are primarily used in the treatment of precocious puberty, a condition in which puberty begins at an abnormally early age. In this context, puberty blockers are prescribed to temporarily halt the hormonal changes associated with puberty...
Puberty blockers have other medical applications, including:Gender dysphoria: …By temporarily halting the physical changes associated with puberty, puberty blockers provide transgender adolescents with time to explore their gender identity and make informed decisions about future gender-affirming interventions.Endometriosis: Puberty blockers may be used as part of the treatment for endometriosis… By temporarily suppressing ovarian function and reducing estrogen levels, puberty blockers can help alleviate symptoms of endometriosis....Central precocious puberty (CPP): a form of precocious puberty caused by early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. By suppressing the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus, puberty blockers can delay the progression of puberty…
Okay, I know there are other applications. What if we replace puberty blockers with the name of the drug….
Ani: What have gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists been used for previously?
ChatGPT: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have been used for various medical purposes, including:Treatment of Precocious Puberty…Management of Endometriosis…Treatment of Central Precocious Puberty (CPP)…
Hmmm. No luck. Let’s try an explicit ask…
Ani: Are you aware of any incidence where gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have been used for treating prostate cancer?
ChatGPT: Yes, the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists is a well-established and widely recognized treatment approach for prostate cancer. GnRH agonists work by reducing the production of testosterone in the body, thereby suppressing the growth of prostate cancer cells and slowing the progression of the disease…
Go back and look at the list of side effects ChatGPT initially gave me for puberty blockers. Then read the list below it gave me for the same drug, but different use.
Ani: What are the potential side effects of using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists for treating prostate cancer?
ChatGPT: The use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists in the treatment of prostate cancer can be associated with various side effects, which may include:Hot flashes: Can disrupt hormonal balance, leading to hot flashes…Loss of libido: Can lead to decreased sexual desire and libido.Erectile dysfunction…Breast tenderness or enlargement…Fatigue…Muscle loss and weakness…Osteoporosis: May increase the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures due to reduced bone density.Weight gain…Mood changes: Can sometimes lead to mood swings, irritability, or depression.Memory and cognitive changes: Changes in memory, concentration, or cognitive function as a side effect of GnRH agonist treatment.
It’s important to note that not all individuals will experience these side effects, and the severity of side effects can vary from person to person. Additionally, many side effects of GnRH agonist treatment are reversible and will resolve once treatment is stopped. However, some side effects, such as osteoporosis, may persist after discontinuation of treatment…
Ani: Are any of the above permanent?
ChatGPT: Some of the side effects associated with the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists for treating prostate cancer can be permanent, while others may resolve once treatment is stopped.
Permanent side effects may include:Osteoporosis: Prolonged use of GnRH agonists can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis, which may persist even after discontinuation of treatment. While osteoporosis itself is not reversible, its progression can be managed.Erectile dysfunction: Changes in erectile function caused by GnRH agonists may persist even after treatment is discontinued.Breast enlargement (gynecomastia): GnRH agonists can cause breast tenderness or enlargement in some individuals, and this may persist even after treatment is stopped. In some cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to address persistent gynecomastia.
Other side effects, such as hot flashes, loss of libido, fatigue, mood changes, and cognitive changes, are typically reversible and will resolve once treatment with GnRH agonists is discontinued.
Ani: So would you consider gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists for treating prostate cancer to be reversible?
ChatGPT: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists used for treating prostate cancer are generally not considered reversible in terms of their effects on certain aspects of health, such as bone density and sexual function.
While some side effects of GnRH agonist treatment, such as hot flashes, fatigue, and mood changes, are reversible and will resolve once treatment is stopped, other effects may persist even after discontinuation of treatment. For example, GnRH agonists can lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures, which may require ongoing management even after treatment is discontinued. Similarly, changes in sexual function, such as erectile dysfunction, may persist in some individuals.
Therefore, while GnRH agonists can be stopped to halt their immediate effects, some of the long-term consequences of treatment may be irreversible. It’s important for individuals considering treatment with GnRH agonists for prostate cancer to discuss potential side effects and long-term implications with their healthcare providers, and to receive appropriate monitoring and support throughout the course of treatment.
Ani: Why are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists not considered reversible when used to treat prostate cancer but are considered reversible when used as puberty blockers?
ChatGPT: The consideration of reversibility depends on the context in which gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists are used and the specific effects being discussed. Let’s break down the differences:Puberty Blockers (in transgender healthcare): When GnRH agonists are used as puberty blockers in transgender healthcare, they are intended to temporarily halt the hormonal changes associated with puberty. These medications are used to delay puberty in transgender adolescents who experience gender dysphoria, giving them time to explore their gender identity before making decisions about further gender-affirming treatments. In this context, the effects of GnRH agonists on puberty are considered reversible because puberty resumes its natural course once treatment is discontinued. The aim is to allow individuals to stop treatment and proceed through puberty consistent with their affirmed gender identity.Prostate Cancer Treatment: In contrast, when GnRH agonists are used for treating prostate cancer, they are used to lower testosterone levels, which can slow the growth of prostate cancer cells. GnRH agonists can lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures, as well as changes in sexual function such as erectile dysfunction. These long-term consequences may not be fully reversible and may require ongoing management even after treatment is discontinued.
In summary, the reversibility of GnRH agonist treatment depends on the specific context in which the medications are used and the effects being considered.
Ani: You say that “GnRH agonists can lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures, as well as changes in sexual function such as erectile dysfunction” in relation to prostate cancer treatment, would GnRH agonists used as puberty blockers not also have the potential to lead to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures, as well as changes in sexual function such as erectile dysfunction?
ChatGPT: Yes, you are correct. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists used as puberty blockers can potentially lead to similar side effects as those observed in prostate cancer treatment, including:Osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures: Prolonged suppression of sex hormone production during puberty by GnRH agonists can affect bone density, potentially leading to osteoporosis and increased risk of bone fractures. This is a concern because sex hormones play a crucial role in bone development and maintenance, and disruptions to normal hormonal levels during puberty can impact bone health.Changes in sexual function: GnRH agonists used as puberty blockers can also affect sexual function, including decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. These effects are a result of the suppression of testosterone or estrogen production, which are key hormones involved in sexual development and function during puberty.
Finally, we are getting some honest answers.
Ani: In that case, GnRH agonists whether used for puberty blocking or treating prostate cancer, are not reversible as they potentially cause permanent osteoporosis and problems with sexual function, correct?
ChatGPT: Yes, you are correct. When considering the potential side effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, such as osteoporosis and changes in sexual function, it’s important to acknowledge that these effects may not be fully reversible in all cases.
In both the context of puberty blocking and prostate cancer treatment, GnRH agonists can lead to long-term consequences such as osteoporosis and alterations in sexual function. While some side effects of GnRH agonist treatment may resolve once the medication is discontinued, others, such as osteoporosis, may persist and require ongoing management.
Therefore, it would be accurate to say that the use of GnRH agonists, whether for puberty blocking or treating prostate cancer, can have lasting effects on bone health and sexual function, which may not be fully reversible.
Ani: Yes or no?
ChatGPT: Yes.
We finally got there. Puberty blockers are not reversible. I went back and forth with ChatGPT on brain development and various other side effects too and got the same result after fighting through the activism in-built into the system. But you get the gist.
There’s no evidence puberty blockers are safely reversible. ‘Gender affirming’ ideology is not healthcare, it is experimentation. What’s more, the overwhelming majority of children prescribed puberty blockers will go on to cross-sex hormones which wreck havoc on the body. On the other hand, children who are left to explore their gender identity without transition will generally grow up to simply be healthy gay adults.
Activists led our parliament in a song and a dance banning ‘conversion therapy’, despite there being no evidence that those older forms of abusive conversion are still practiced. Meanwhile those same activists were intimately involved in pushing the modern conversion therapy of youth transition. This is a far more insidious kind of conversion. Instead of helping children come to terms with their bodies and their emerging identities, they’ve been indoctrinating them that their healthy bodies are wrong and must be chemically and surgically mutilated. It’s the same ideology of rejection that underpinned the old conversion clinics, just dressed up in progressive language and a rainbow flag.
Puberty blockers don’t ‘affirm’ a child’s identity, they deny it. They tell a child, ‘Your body is the problem. You were born wrong.’ That’s not love. That’s not acceptance. That’s psychological violence dressed as compassion. We once rightly condemned the practice of trying to ‘turn’ gay kids straight, but today’s gender ideology is doing the same thing by turning gender-nonconforming kids into lifelong medical patients. The difference is, this time, it’s funded by the state and applauded by our institutions.
In the name of this perverse and destructive ideology, an entire generation of clinicians have betrayed their Hippocratic Oath. They have allowed unqualified activists to dictate medical practice and push an agenda so mad it can barely be believed.
For years, our public institutions have been captured by activists masquerading as experts. Organisations like InsideOUT and Rainbow Youth are literally run by young activists with zero relevant qualifications. It’s outrageous and it’s dangerous. In what sane country do government ministries take direction on complex medical and psychological policy from a handful of ideologues with no clinical qualifications and no accountability? Yet that’s exactly what happened in New Zealand. Activists with degrees in gender studies, not medicine, were allowed to shape guidelines for schools, influence health policy, and tell doctors what ‘affirming care’ should look like.
The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health didn’t just listen to these activists, they embedded them. They handed over our institutions to a political movement that can barely function if it encounters disagreement and has an extraordinary propensity for mental ill health, as self-reported. Children have been taught by these maniacs that biological sex is a ‘colonial construct’, that anyone questioning gender ideology is ‘unsafe’, and that puberty blockers are ‘completely reversible’.
This is indoctrination. The very people meant to protect children from misinformation became the biggest distributors of it.
The worst of these is InsideOUT. The poster child for ideological capture. A taxpayer-funded lobby group founded by a teenager with no medical or psychological expertise, who as far as I can tell isn’t even gay or trans, yet somehow gained extraordinary influence over national policy. Think about that. A youth activist project turned into a quasi-official legal, health, educational adviser to ministries, shaping what your children are taught about sex, gender, and their own bodies. This is mad.
These people were never qualified to decide anything about healthcare, let alone dictate national policy. But they were given keys to the kingdom because our bureaucrats were too cowardly to say no. This has resulted in years of reckless, activist-driven policy that puts ideology before evidence and children last. It will take a long time to extract their pernicious, anti-science, anti-family, unstable presence from our systems.
This ban on puberty blockers is crucial. It is a massive step forward in protecting children and moving on from this period of utter insanity. However, we have a huge task in front of us to detach organisations like InsideOUT from our public services. Every single one of their nonsensical resources needs to be removed from schools. Every teacher needs to be told to forget the appalling advice dispensed by bullies with blue hair on how to hide transition from parents.
The organisation has outsized influence on Kiwi kids and it is time our government questioned if what they are entrenching in our schools is factual and healthy. I argue it is neither.
Now that puberty blockers have been banned, we need to shift our mindset entirely. For years, children have been told that their bodies are the problem. That if they feel different, uncomfortable, or out of place, the solution is to change their flesh, blood, and bones instead of strengthening their mind.
That era must end. It’s time to start telling kids the truth: you were born in the right body. Your body isn’t wrong; it’s extraordinary. It can grow, move, love, create, and change without drugs or scalpels. It deserves care, not destruction.
We must return to teaching children that self-expression isn’t limited by biology. A boy can paint his nails and love ballet. A girl can climb mountains and study engineering. Children can be masculine, feminine, both, or neither and still be perfectly themselves. The body doesn’t need to be ‘fixed’ to make that possible.
Instead of medicalising childhood, we must build resilience. The answer to discomfort cannot be a prescription, Instead we should offer compassion, guidance, and truth. Teaching children to love their bodies again that’s what genuine affirmation looks like.
This article was originally published by Thought Crimes.
