🔗 Share this article

The Queensland government disclosed private information about the parent of a transgender teenager – data she says potentially “outed” her child – to a unknown individual.

Accusations of “Intimidation” and “Invasion of Privacy”

The revelation emerged as the state government was charged of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after requesting confidential medical information from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a additional court case to its controversial ban on puberty blockers.

Latest Official Directive on Puberty Blockers

Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive prohibiting the prescription of puberty blockers for trans individuals, shortly after the state’s supreme court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Guardian Australia has interviewed four mothers who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a statement of reasons – a formal explanation of why the government decided to ban puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the document must be supplied under the legal statute.

Requested Health Information

Each were required by the health authorities for particulars of their child’s medical history, including the minor’s identity, their date of birth and any other evidence which supports your child having a medical confirmation of gender identity disorder”.

The information were requested before the statement of reasons would be provided.

The email, which has been reviewed by the media, also instructed them to verify if your child is a client of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can confirm the data provided with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the email, which was dispatched recently.

Mothers Describe Request as Invasion of Privacy

Each parent described the request as an invasion of privacy.

A mother said she was reluctant to share the details because the state government had accidentally sent her data to a another individual.

“It feels like having to ‘out’ your teen to obtain a reply; like, it’s frightening,” she said.

Case of the Mother

The parent, who must remain anonymous because it would also reveal or “out” her teen, was one of several who asked for a explanation on multiple occasions.

Earlier, the agency emailed a reply meant for her to another parent, disclosing her name and location – and the fact that she had a trans teen – to a stranger. She said a department official later said sorry by telephone; the media has seen an message from the department confirming the mistake.

She said she felt “ill and vulnerable” as a consequence of the blunder.

“My child is incredibly private. She is deeply afraid of being exposed in any social setting. She dislikes people to be aware that she’s trans,” the mother said.

“I respect that to my very being as much as possible. The sole occasion I ever share is out of necessity for obtaining entry to services and only to people I consider incredibly safe and I trust completely.”

The parent was particularly concerned about the implication it would be “confirmed” by the hospital.

She said the demand was “intimidating” and “seems coercive”.

Additional Mother Expresses Worries

Sally* said she was unwilling revealing the health background of her seven-year-old gender-diverse child.

“It’s not my information, it’s a child’s information,” she said.

“To think that that information could inadvertently be disclosed one day, in any way, you know, although that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to him.”

She wrote back saying the department had requested an “excessive level of detail”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to another entity that asked for it, particularly in the context of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such highly confidential stuff. You wouldn’t disclose, for example, your medical condition to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be hesitant and very cautious to submit such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”

Advocacy Group Weighing Further Action

The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the mother in her challenge, was considering a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about 500 Queensland children and their families and it was “important to promptly enable the supply of reasons so that minors and their parents can comprehend the logic behind this decision, which has had such a devastating impact on their access to healthcare”.

Authorities Position on Prohibition

The authorities has consistently said the prohibition would remain in place until a examination into trans healthcare had been finished.