🔗 Share this article

The Queensland government released confidential information about the parent of a transgender teenager – information she says potentially “outed” her teen – to a stranger.

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The disclosure emerged as the state government was charged of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after demanding private health records from parents of transgender children who are considering a additional legal challenge to its disputed ban on puberty blockers.

Latest Government Directive on Hormone Treatments

Recently, the state health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive banning the use of hormone blockers for transgender patients, shortly after the state’s supreme court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Media has interviewed several parents who have approached Nicholls for a legal document called a statement of reasons – a formal explanation of why the government decided to prohibit puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the document must be provided under the legal statute.

Requested Health Information

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

The information were requested before the explanation would be released.

The email, which has been seen by the media, also instructed them to “please also confirm if your teen is a patient of the youth gender service so that we can confirm the data provided with the health service,” states the email, which was sent last Friday.

Mothers Label Request as Breach of Confidentiality

All four mothers characterized the demand as an invasion of privacy.

One parent said she was hesitant to share the details because the state government had accidentally sent her information to a another individual.

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

Situation of the Mother

The parent, who must remain anonymous because it would also reveal or “out” her teen, was one of several who requested a statement of reasons both times.

Earlier, the agency sent a reply intended for her to someone else, revealing her identity and location – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a third party. She said a department official later said sorry by telephone; the Guardian has seen an email from the department confirming the mistake.

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

“My child is very reserved. She is deeply afraid of being outed in any social setting. She dislikes people to know that she’s transgender,” Louise said.

“I honor that to my very being as much as humanly possible. The sole occasion I ever disclose is out of need for gaining access to supports and only to people I deem trustworthy and I trust completely.”

The parent was particularly concerned about the suggestion it would be “confirmed” by the medical facility.

She said the request was “intimidating” and “feels threatening”.

Additional Mother Expresses Worries

Sally* said she was unwilling revealing the medical history of her young gender-diverse child.

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

“To think that that data could accidentally be leaked one day, in any manner, you know, although that was accidental, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”

She wrote back saying the agency had requested an “extraordinary amount of information”.

“I would not share that data to another entity that asked for it, especially in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private information. You would not reveal, for example, your medical condition to the government office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and careful to provide such details to a group of officials, basically.”

Legal Service Considering Second Lawsuit

The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the mother in her challenge, was evaluating a second lawsuit, it said recently.

The head, Ren Shike, said the decision had affected about hundreds of minors and their families and it was crucial to promptly enable the supply of reasons so that minors and their parents can understand the logic behind this ruling, which has had such a severe effect on their medical care”.

Government Stance on Ban

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