What's happening?

10am Sunday the 7th of December at Myer's Park in Tāmaki Makaurau, we are gathering to protest the upcoming puberty blocker ban[1] and marching to Britomart.

Bring sunblock, a mask, a charged phone, and water. Refer to announcements from the block the ban facebook page/@blocktheban on instagram for more complete and up-to-date protest information. This site is not affiliated with blocktheban or any protest organisers; they are the root source of truth for the plan.

Why is this important?

Regulation has been passed to make it an offence for authorised prescribers to administer new prescriptions for GNRH analogues (puberty blockers) to individuals with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence (who have not been prescribed a GNRH analogue by the 19th), which will be enforced from the 19th of December. This is unjustified, discriminatory, and against the advice of many of New Zealand's foremost experts in healthcare[6].

According to PATHA (Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa), who have developed the standards of care for transgender individuals for some time, "Puberty blockers are considered to be largely reversible and have the benefit of allowing the young person time before making any decisions regarding starting on gender affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). There is no good evidence to suggest that blockers impact negatively on cognitive and emotional development."[2, p. 67]. They are an option for hormone blockers as part of E-GAHT (estrogen based gender-affirming hormone treatment) to suppress testosterone production, and this is a use which can continue into adulthood, "Goserelin can be used for people who cannot tolerate oral anti-androgen agents" [2, p. 89]. I have personally found the 10.8mg Goserelin implant to be my preferred mode of testosterone blocker, though individual experiences may vary.

Removing the option for healthcare professionals to prescribe these medications when indicated and appropriately consented by the relevant parties, specifically for queer and/or gender diverse individuals, is a violation of our collective human rights[3]. These medications are also primarily indicated by Medsafe for treatment of hormone-sensitive prostate cancers, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids[4]. The legislation for the ban, as written on the 5th of December 2025, denies any new prescriptions beyond December 19th for individuals with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence, regardless of the use, and regardless of the age of the recipient[5] ("treatment of a person with" vs. "treatment of" w.r.t. gender dysphoria or incongruence, section 44BA (1)). This means, if enforced as currently written, it would still be an offense to prescribe one of the listed GNRH analogues to an individual with gender dysphoria for the treatment of cancer, but not if the individual did not have gender dysphoria. This is blatantly discriminatory, and at odds with the explanatory note provided with the legislation, which states, "The amendments do not prevent authorised prescribers prescribing gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for purposes other than the treatment of gender incongruence or gender dysphoria" [5].

Where can I find out more?

• Block the Ban. (2025).

• PATHA news - Widespread Professional Condemnation of the NZ Government’s GnRH Agonist (‘Puberty Blocker’) Prescribing Ban (released 2 Dec 2025) - has a list of statements from other relevant groups

• Any gender diverse individuals you know would probably be happy to help inform you about this, if you approach it from a perspective of curiosity and support

What can I do?

Attend relevant protests[1], contact the office of the Minister for Health, get in touch with your electorate MP to give them a signal that this is not OK, and be there to provide support for any transgender or gender-diverse individuals you know. It's rough out there.

Upcoming protests elsewhere in the Country

• There will hopefully be more here soon

Sources

[1] Block the Ban. (2025).

[2] Guidelines for Gender Affirming Healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand. (2025). PATHA

[3] New Zealand Ban on Puberty Blockers Raises Human Rights Concerns. (2022). NZ Human Rights Commission.

[4] Goserelin 10.8mg implant. (2022). Medsafe

[5] Medicines (Restriction on Prescribing Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Analogues) Amendment Regulations 2025 (SL 2025/256) – New Zealand Legislation. (2025). NZ Government

[6] Widespread Professional Condemnation of the NZ Government’s GnRH Agonist (‘Puberty Blocker’) Prescribing Ban. (2025). PATHA

Disclaimer: The author is not a lawyer or a medical professional. When in doubt, read up or get their advice. The sources provided also have more authority.