Families Of Trans Children Rally After Qld Hormone Treatment Ban

The families of trans and gender diverse children and their communities held a rally outside of the Queensland Health Minister’s office on Wednesday morning, after the state government banned hormone treatments for new patients under the age of 18.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced on Tuesday that puberty blockers and hormone therapy would no longer be used to treat new patients under 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria, and announced an independent external review into the evidence for puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Experts and queer advocacy groups say the move will have “catastrophic impacts on the health and wellbeing of trans and gender diverse young people.”

More than 150 people met outside of the Nicholl’s Clayfield office at 9:30am, armed with noise makers, flags, and signs.

Organiser Amy Sargent said that the event was an opportunity for the community to show Nicholls that the community was ready to mobilise to oppose the ban, as well as give people an opportunity to hear from parents of young trans people.

“The ramifications of this decision are quite horrifying,” Sargeant said. “The overwhelming expert consensus on these matters is that providing healthcare to young trans people is a lifesaving necessity.”

Parents of transgender children who had received hormone therapy spoke to the crowd, many emphasising the lifesaving changes it made to their child’s life.

One parent said their child had been due to start hormone therapy this week, and would now be unable to access the healthcare prescribed to them, after spending months on the waitlist.

In an appearance in Cairns on Wednesday, Nicholls said that 450-500 children were on the waitlist for the Queensland Children’s Gender Service at the time of the ban.

“The health and wellbeing of children is our prime concern,” he said.

“There is a very significant amount of concern about children going down that pathway and the long-term effects … without an understanding of those long-term effects.”

Puberty blockers will continue to be used for children without gender dysphoria, such as in cases of precocious puberty.

Greens MP Steven Bates attended the rally, posting his support on social media.

“So proud to be standing here with my community and with so many people from the community, fighting back against the LNP cuts to trans healthcare in Queensland,” Bates said in a video on Instagram. “If we’re not going to do it, no one’s going to do it.”

Rally organiser Piper Valykyrie said the Queensland trans and gender diverse community would continue to organise support for trans children and their families.

“We’ll fight back and make sure that our community gets to be safe and happy.”

Experts highlight strong evidence base for gender-affirming care
Nicholls said yesterday that the ban was triggered by an “apparently unauthorised provision of paediatric gender services” within the Cairns Sexual Health Service, resulting in 17 children receiving hormone therapy that “may not align with the accepted Australian treatment guidelines”.

Two separate investigations will take place into the Cairns Sexual Health Service, one analysing the governance framework and the other investigating the services delivered.

The ban will remain in place until the outcomes of the resulting report are assessed by the government, which will take place within 10 months of a reviewer being appointed.

Psychiatric and psychological treatments, counselling, and other clinically recommended medication interventions will still be offered to children experiencing gender dysphoria.

Rally organiser Hannah Redford, who is the proud mother of two trans children, said that the move was “unprecedented, appalling, and cowardly”.

“Trans affirming healthcare is proven, safe, and thoroughly monitored by responsible clinicians,” she said. “The LNP have chosen to hide behind an unproven claim of incorrect procedure at a clinic in Cairns to implement an immediate ban on life saving medicine statewide.”

“Puberty blockers save lives. HRT saves lives. The Children’s Gender Clinic at Queensland Children’s Hospital saves lives.”

An independent review published last year found that the care being provided at the Queensland Children’s Gender Service was safe, evidence-based, and adhered strictly to national and international guidelines.

There was no evidence of coercion, malpractice, or inadequate mental health screenings prior to the administration of puberty blockers and other gender-affirming treatments, despite whistleblower allegations.