Molly ~ madradish
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sheepassisted.bsky.social
Molly ~ madradish
@sheepassisted.bsky.social
400 followers 500 following 620 posts
Geeky Librarian/trainer with science background. I spin and knit avidly. I am a mother & intersectional feminist. I’m neurodivergent and support trans rights. Recent transplant to Te-Whanganui-a-Tara. Opinions mine.
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Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
brokenstarfish.bsky.social
Today is Transgender Day Of Remembrance.

Last night the New Zealand government chose to announce that they are blocking access to puberty blockers for trans youth.
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
tailstrike.xyz
The studies they are choosing to ignore

France: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Australia: statements.qld.gov.au/statements/1... and www.saxinstitute.org.au/resource/evi...

USA: publications.aap.org/pediatrics/a...

From:
Puberty blockers banned: The reality of raising a trans child in 2025
A parent shares their experience and fears as public submissions are sought on the use of puberty blockers for gender-affirming care.
thespinoff.co.nz
November 19, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
tailstrike.xyz
email and/or call Brown and your local MP now, because its always how this attempt at eliminating trans people starts

#nzpol #ProtectTransKids
jennifilm.nz Jennifer @jennifilm.nz · 9d
PATHA's statement has been published: patha.nz/news
The Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) condemns today's decision from Minister of Health Simeon Brown introducing a ban on new prescriptions of GnRH analogues (puberty blockers) for transgender children and young people who are not currently on them. This ideologically driven ban will have a devastating impact on the lives and wellbeing of our transgender and gender diverse young people. We know that children, young people and their whanau will be highly distressed by this decision. We also acknowledge health professionals' frustration at the way their expertise has been ignored and disregarded. "The ban will lead to a deterioration in mental health, increased risk of suicidality and increased dysphoria in gender diverse children and young people, and will put them at a higher risk of experiencing marginalisation and discrimination," says Dr Elizabeth McElrea, GP specialist in gender affirming care and PATHA Vice-President. "The prescribing of puberty blockers is always undertaken with the utmost care and consideration. They have been prescribed safely for decades for transgender children and banning their use will lead to profound distress in this already vulnerable group." This decision is not supported by the Ministry of Health's November 2024 evidence brief on this care. This decision is not supported by the Ministry of Health's November 2024 evidence brief on this care. While the evidence brief identified some limitations in the academic quality of evidence regarding the risks and benefits of GRH analogues, limitations in evidence quality are common across a number of areas of medicine, especially within paediatric medicine, and do not justify a ban on access. "PATHA supports evidence-based medicine, which consists of three key components: academic evidence, clinical experience, and patient preferences and values," says Dr McElrea. "When the quality of available academic evidence is of lower quality, it's incredibly common for clinicians to lean on guidelines drawn from clinical experience." "Practising medicine, and paediatric medicine (not just within gender affirming healthcare), often necessitates providing care without a high-quality evidence base. The absence of high-quality clinical evidence does not mean providing this care is wrong." "Children benefit from innovative medical treatments that improve their survival and quality of life. Pediatric care would all but cease if physicians denied treatments for which the evidence base is imperfect." (McNamara et al., 2024, p. 15) 'An Evidence-Based Critique of "The Cass Review" on Gender-affirming Care for Adolescent The new restrictions will be in place until the conclusion of clinical trials in the United Kingdom, which are not due until at least 2031. "In no other area of care would life-saving medication be withheld from a vulnerable population for six years. This will have a traumatic impact on a generation of transgender children," says Avery Zavoda, PATHA Executive Committee member. PATHA is strongly against the decision. It is a shocking act of discrimination against transgender children and young people. "That New Zealand First announced this news three hours before the Minister of Health shows the way this care has been politicised, and how politics have been prioritised over the wellbeing of New Zealand children," said Zavoda. "Banning puberty blockers will not prevent children from being transgender, despite the disinformation New Zealand First are promoting," says Jennifer Shields, PATHA President. "It's obvious that this has been a political decision made to appease a coalition partner based on an imported culture war, rather than a medical recommendation reflecting the expertise of NZ clinicians and researchers who have been working in this field for over 25 years." Identify, a 2022 New Zealand research survey on the experiences Identify, a 2022 New Zealand research survey on the experiences of rainbow young people showed "the proportion of young people who wanted puberty blockers and were able to use them was nearly half the number of young people who wanted these medications but could not access them." These findings made it clear that the prescription context and existing regulations "did not result in the easy access to young people who wanted puberty blockers that some people have claimed existed. In fact, the results demonstrate a seriously constrained prescription context that urgently needs further attention to be more equitable." "We call on the Ministry of Health to publish their consultation report immediately, so that health professionals, trans people, and the wider public can see that this decision has been made by politicians rather than based on clinical experience," says Shields. "We also look forward to the Minister now immediately allowing the updated guidelines for gender affirming healthcare to be published." "We also call on Labour, the Green Party, and Te Paati Mãori to commit to reversing this harmful decision if they are elected into government next year. Our communities need the reassurance that this ban will not last." "PATHA is committed to ensuring all trans children and children experiencing gender dysphoria have access to the best quality care.
November 19, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
imflyingsolo.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 8:25 AM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
That was a big one. Kids were rattled. #eqnz
November 6, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
kerrypolka.bsky.social
look I'm no branding expert but I possibly would have called these something else
A photo of a pack of rubber gloves in a shop. They are named something that suggests they are comfortable, but in a rude way
November 4, 2025 at 9:15 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Nothing like getting into the city before realising your laptop isn’t in your bag. I’m glad I don’t live too far from work, but still ugh. Happy Monday. 😕
October 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Is it just me, or is Kiwibank staffed by a bunch of muppets?
October 15, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
bookjockeyalex.bsky.social
Really want to encourage libraries - especially school libraries - to put no-AI content into your collection development policy. At the very least, if you have a clause in there about requiring accurate information, you can use that to weed out or prevent genAI purchases.
chadstanton.blacksky.app Doghouse Reilly @chadstanton.blacksky.app · Oct 6
“When you get a suspicious book, “you look it up to see what else the [author] has written. And you see there's 30 things, and none of them have any reviews, and they were all written in the last two years,” DeMeester-Lane says.”
How Local Librarians Keep AI Slop Off the Shelves
AI is being used to create nonsensical, sometimes dangerously inaccurate books. Local librarians are tasked with keeping these volumes out of their collections.
www.governing.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:29 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
I’m currently knitting a dress(!) from handspun on 2.75mm needles(!!) I’m making surprisingly good progress with a lot of attention paid to bust shaping. Just need to take care not to abuse my hands too much. 🙈🧶
September 28, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
dejanajuk.bsky.social
Have money, get a discount off your sentence for giving a mere pittance of it to charity. So, if you are rich in NZ you not only get name suppression, you can also buy yourself a reduced sentence even for extreme examples of child pornography.
That’s not fair.
So which very wealthy family is it?
Wealthy NZ family member guilty of child abuse images given sentence discount for donation
He gave $50,400 to charities days before his sentencing was scheduled.
www.nzherald.co.nz
September 23, 2025 at 4:38 AM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Wonderful high tea at Bonappetea this morning. I had an iced mocha and it was all delicious. It also included scones with jam and cream. Beautiful surrounds too.
High tea on a stand with three plates. Pictured are sweet treats, sandwiches and savoury bites. Close up of two fancy glasses with straws. One contains an iced mocha, the other an iced coffee.
September 19, 2025 at 2:51 AM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Really worth a read. Many of the best men I know were raised by single mums. I also know plenty of women struggling with family court and lying exes.

I sincerely hope that Carrie Leonetti doesn’t get too much abuse for sharing her research.
September 17, 2025 at 5:20 AM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Hari te wiki o te Reo Māori. I’m embroidering a cotton jumper from an op shop. I’ve added the tino rangatiratanga flag to the back and am working on the ‘together for te Tiriti’ figures on the front.

I have plans for bands of tukutuku and kupu for the front too.

Mauriora.

#tewikiotereomāori
Close up of red and black embroidery of the tino rangatiratanga flag on white cotton. Together for te Tiriti figures embroidered in red and black on white cotton jumper. The figures are partly filled in with long and short stitches. Outlines of together for te Tiriti figures embroidered in red and black on a white jumper.
September 16, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
captcaffiend.bsky.social
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/nz...
NZ Government Sanction Israel Now
Since October 2023 the world has witnessed the state of Israel perpetrate innumerable war crimes and human rights violations against the people of Gaza [1], while the violence, repression, and forced ...
our.actionstation.org.nz
September 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
te-reo-bot.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Moemoeā: Dream, vision, aspiration for the future
September 12, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
dejanajuk.bsky.social
100 Māori words every New Zealander should know

#TeWikiOTeReoMāori
100 Māori words every New Zealander should know
waateanews.com
September 14, 2025 at 7:40 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
A question for knitters and knitwear designers..

If you discovered a large error early on while knitting a pattern, would you:

A. Email the designer about it right away or
B. Wait until you finish knitting the garment in case there are other issues to include?

It’s not a new release. #knitting 🧶
September 14, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
dejanajuk.bsky.social
Te Wiki o te Reo Mãori
Mäori Language Week
HEPETEMA
2025
14-20 Te Wiki o te Reo Mãori Mäori Language Week HEPETEMA 2025
September 14, 2025 at 6:41 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
I’m going to be in Australia for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. It will be too warm to wear my ake ake ake hoodie, but I’ll take my reo homework with me.

I wrote a poem as part of my Reo class. I’m still finding structure/grammar hard, but I’m picking up a fair amount of kupu.
#TeReoMāori
September 11, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
snurb.info
Oh sweet Jeebus, imagine explaining to a Tesla’s AI how a Melbourne hook turn is meant to work. (It’d probably just keep driving around the intersection in a swastika pattern.)
Tesla self-driving test on busy Melbourne streets 'not approved'
An apparent test drive of Tesla's automated self-driving technology in Melbourne's CBD earlier this year was not approved by the Victorian government.
www.abc.net.au
September 9, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
foxylustygrover.bsky.social
The other option is vote the Nats mob out #NZPol
Premium Home / New Zealand / Politics Treasury warning: Kiwis must accept lower quality public services to hit Government spending goal Thomas Coughlan By Thomas Coughlan Political Editor·NZ Herald· 9 Sep, 2025 05:00 AM 7 mins to read
September 8, 2025 at 8:28 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Petty gripes with Wellington public transport.
1. Why can’t I connect my snapper card to my bank account for automatic top ups? This would also avoid credit card fees.
2. Installing mobile base stations/boosters in some of the tunnels would be very helpful for commutes.
September 8, 2025 at 8:33 PM
sheepassisted.bsky.social
Spring has definitely sprung in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The wind is doing its best to push me into traffic! 🌬️🚶‍♂️
September 4, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Reposted by Molly ~ madradish
adzebill.bsky.social
Wikipedia editors trying to fend off the onslaught of AI crap have crowdsourced some telltale signs of LLM-generated writing; it might be handy for editors and proofreaders generally. Thanks to @ellenrykers.com for pointing me to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...
Wikipedia:Signs of AI writing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
August 31, 2025 at 11:58 PM