ALRANZ

01/06/2026

We remember Dr Tiller 💜

Dr. George Tiller was an abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas, for over 34 years. He provided excellent abortion care to individuals within his community and to people from far beyond, with many of his patients traveling hundreds of miles across multiple states to receive care at his clinic. Specializing in abortions after the first trimester, Dr. Tiller was willing to provide care to individuals who many other doctors were simply unwilling or unable to serve.

Dr. Tiller personally drew a tremendous amount of focus from anti-abortion extremists and was vilified, nationally targeted, and physically harmed multiple times throughout his career. His clinic was firebombed. He was shot previously. And sadly, on Sunday the 31st of May in 2009, Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed.

He wasn’t shot in his home. He wasn’t shot and killed at his clinic. He was shot and killed – assassinated – at his house of worship, Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. While handing out worship bulletins and greeting congregation members before Sunday service, Dr. Tiller was gunned down by an anti-abortion extremist inside the church he had called home for many, many years.

Those in the Christian faith recognize Sunday as a holy day. Sunday, a time to gather together; Sunday, a time to be with God. For George Tiller in his faith, this day was a holy day.

On the last day he would draw breath on the earth, Dr. Tiller gathered with those whom he called brothers and sisters, siblings in the faith. He gathered with his community in the same way many of us gather for worship and prayer in our own faith communities today: expectant, hopeful, filled with joy.

As we remember the life and legacy of Dr. George Tiller, we invite you to take time in your own community of faith to remember Dr. Tiller as you gather together. No matter your faith tradition or practice, we ask that you take time to remember Dr. Tiller – reflect on his faithfully pro-choice witness and unite your heart in prayer for the safety, joy, and blessing of abortion providers everywhere who carry on the sacred work of providing holy, compassionate care.

31/05/2026

27/05/2026

☣️⚠️How convenient that the majority anti-choice government (NZ First & National PM & Health Minister) allows for a loophole to debate abortion access again.

The bill defines “woman” as “adult”. And according to the Age of Majority Act 1970, if “adult” isn’t defined, it’s considered someone who’s aged 20 or older.

This means under-20s may be excluded from any legislation that mentions “women” or “men” without mentioning age. One particularly worrying example of this is abortion.

The Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act outlines how women can access abortion services. If the proposed bill passes, this could mean that women under 20, trans, and inters*x people may not be able to have an abortion.

Not only could this be problematic for people accessing a service to which they’re entitled, it could also provide an opening for anti-choice groups to put abortion back up for debate.

The bill seeking to define “woman” and “man” not only excludes and harms trans and inters*x people, but also potentially has unintended consequences on women’s rights and access to services.

27/05/2026

ACT Party’s Simon Court is asked about the government’s recent bill seeking to define “man” and “woman” in law AND abortion access!?!?!?! 💜💜✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️🏥

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party’s Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about the government’s recent bill seeking to define “man” and “woman” in law. And they spoke to Green Party Co-Leader and MP for Auckland Central, Chloe Swarbrick, about a...

27/05/2026

ALRANZ is proud to be quoted by Pharmacy Today with other amazing groups calling out the gender bill by NZ First which does harm to all people in Aotearoa NZ.

27/05/2026

🏳️‍⚧️✊🏾

27/05/2026

🐨 What do we always say? The , movement worldwide and yes, in NZ, are a bunch of liars. They make up things to make women out to be evil and in need of being controlled.

'Joanna Howe says the image was sent to her by a woman ashamed of her abortion, and used it to support ‘rally for Emma and Ruth’ in favour of NSW bill......Analysis from a digital forensics expert, commissioned by Guardian Australia, found the image was most likely a sugar glider joey (Petaurus breviceps), or possibly another marsupial such as an opossum.'

Joanna Howe says the image was sent to her by a woman ashamed of her abortion, and used it to support ‘rally for Emma and Ruth’ in favour of NSW bill

25/05/2026

23/05/2026

21/05/2026

Abortion Rights Aotearoa (ALRANZ) strongly condemns NZ First's ridiculous bill to legally define a man and women. This bill is a waste of taxpayer money and serves only as a dog whistle in an election year.

“ACT's Karen Chhour said the debate was not about science, but about being able to speak plainly.” Legislators' job is to make complex decisions for the good of society. This does absolutely nothing to help society and speaking plainly is already readily available to every MP.

'NZ First is admitting that they do not care about science, which is 100 percent the basis of biology, thus, are creating a farce about science and forcing a legal definition where one is not possible - especially in medicine.' says Co-President Alma De Anda.

Alma continues, 'If they want to speak plainly, let them hear this: s*x and gender are different but are intrinsically connected. You cannot have one without the other and they exist on a spectrum, because: SCIENCE.'

Registered social worker, research fellow, and ALRANZ executive committee member and Eileen Joy adds, 'The legislation is as useful as saying a house can be defined as having a roof and walls. Imagine if that’s what we used to help frame up building legislation - the language is 'plain' but functionally useless.'

We urge all MPs and party leaders to reject this bill in its entirety. If anyone in the current government is serious about 'protecting s*x-based rights', then they should reverse the changes they made to the pay equity scheme, which have left women with no recourse to fight against discriminatory wages based on s*x. This government should reverse the cuts to domestic violence prevention programmes in 2024, and they should reverse their most recent decision to cut funding for one of the country's few specialist s*xual violence prevention organisations - RespectEd.

Until then, this bill and this government is discrimating against our trans whānau for political points. What an utter embarrassment for Aotearoa.