🔗 Share this article

The Queensland government released confidential information about the mother of a transgender teenager – information she says potentially exposed her teen – to a unknown individual.

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The revelation emerged as the government was accused of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after requesting private health records from guardians of transgender children who are contemplating a additional legal challenge to its controversial prohibition on puberty blockers.

Recent Official Order on Puberty Blockers

Recently, the Queensland health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a fresh directive banning the prescription of hormone blockers for trans individuals, just hours after the state’s supreme court determined the initial ban was illegal.

Guardian Australia has spoken to several parents who have contacted Nicholls for a legal document called a explanation of decision – a formal explanation of why the government made a decision to ban puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the paper must be provided under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Demanded Health Information

All four were asked by the health authorities for details of their teen’s health background, including the minor’s identity, their date of birth and any other evidence which confirms your teen having a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria”.

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

The message, which has been seen by the Guardian, also instructed them to verify if your child is a patient of the youth gender service so that we can verify the information provided with the health service,” reads the email, which was sent recently.

Mothers Label Request as Breach of Confidentiality

Each parent described the request as an violation of confidentiality.

A mother said she was hesitant to divulge the details because the state government had mistakenly forwarded her data to a different parent.

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

Case of the Mother

Louise*, who cannot be legally identified because it would also reveal or expose her teen, was among those who requested a explanation on multiple occasions.

Earlier, the department emailed a reply intended for her to another parent, disclosing her identity and address – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a third party. She said a government employee later apologised by telephone; the Guardian has seen an message from the agency confirming the mistake.

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

“My child is very reserved. She is immensely fearful of being exposed in any social setting. She dislikes people to be aware that she’s trans,” Louise said.

“I respect that to my very being as much as humanly possible. The sole occasion I ever disclose is out of necessity for gaining access to services and only to people I deem incredibly safe and I trust completely.”

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

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

Other Parent Voices Worries

Sally* said she was not comfortable revealing the medical history of her young non-binary child.

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

“To think that that information could accidentally be disclosed someday, in any way, you know, although that was unintentional, could be deeply, deeply distressing to them.”

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

“I would not share that data to any other organisation that requested it, especially in the climate of the present environment,” she said.

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

Legal Service Weighing Second Lawsuit

The LGBTI Legal Service, which assisted the parent in her case, was considering a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the ruling had impacted about 500 Queensland children and their relatives and it was “important to efficiently facilitate the supply of explanations so that minors and their parents can comprehend the reasoning behind this decision, which has had such a severe effect on their access to healthcare”.

Authorities Position on Prohibition

The authorities has repeatedly said the ban would stay enforced until a examination into trans healthcare had been completed.