As a part of the National, ACT, and New Zealand First's coalition to form the incoming government of Aotearoa, National has agreed with New Zealand First to remove and replace the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based guidelines. 

If this occurs the New Zealand government will be further isolating and withholding support from a demographic of youth already exposed to higher rates of stigma and mortality. The current gender and sexuality education program is not indoctrination, it is simply teaching people about acceptance. The curriculum is not forcing or manipulating people into being queer, it is showing everyone that people have a right to exist as themselves, and be who they are. 

Marge Curnow, the spokesperson for RGE was quoted in saying that the organisation "would welcome the opportunity to contribute to new guidelines that are scientifically accurate and age-appropriate and teach children there is no one right way to be a boy or girl" she also said that gender does not exist on a spectrum, something many people can tell you does in fact exist and in fact so does sex proven by the existence of intersex people. 

The new government has pledged 6 million NZD to the I Am Hope/Gumboot day charity in an attempt to improve mental health, but by removing gender and sexuality education from the curriculum they are going to diminish their work in this space. The government needs to set a precedent for acceptance, love and freedom to exist as everyone has the right to. Please sign this petition and stop the government from harming the wellbeing of our rangitahi and future generations.