Mother of Transgender Teen Accuses Queensland Government of Privacy Breach That Could Have ‘Outed’ Her Child

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

Allegations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The disclosure emerged as the state government was charged of “intimidation” and “an invasion of privacy” after requesting private health records from guardians of transgender children who are considering a additional legal challenge to its controversial prohibition on puberty blockers.

Latest Government Directive on Puberty Blockers

Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a new order prohibiting the prescription of puberty blockers for trans individuals, just hours after the high court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Media has interviewed several parents who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a detailed account of why the authorities decided to prohibit puberty blockers in the region. By law, the document must be supplied 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 birthdate and any other evidence which supports your teen having a clinical diagnosis of gender identity disorder”.

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

The email, which has been reviewed by the Guardian, also instructed them to verify if your child is a client of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can confirm the information submitted with the health service,” reads the email, which was dispatched last Friday.

Mothers Describe Request as Breach of Confidentiality

Each parent described the request as an violation of confidentiality.

A mother said she was reluctant to divulge the information because the authorities had mistakenly sent her data to a different parent.

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

Situation of the Mother

Louise*, who cannot be legally identified because it would also identify or “out” her teen, was one of several who requested a explanation both times.

In May, the department emailed a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her identity and address – and the detail that she had a trans teen – to a third party. She said a government employee later apologised over the phone; the Guardian has obtained an email from the department confirming the mistake.

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

“My daughter is incredibly private. She is deeply afraid of being exposed in any public space. She doesn’t like people to be aware that she’s trans,” the mother said.

“I honor that to my very being as much as possible. The only time I ever, ever share is out of need for obtaining entry to services and only to people I deem trustworthy and I know well.”

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

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

Additional Mother Expresses Worries

Another mother 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 imagine that that data could accidentally be disclosed one day, in any manner, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to him.”

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

“I would not share that information to any other organisation that asked for it, particularly in the context of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private stuff. You wouldn’t disclose, for instance, your medical condition to the government office, you know. You’d be hesitant and careful to submit any of that information to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”

Advocacy Group Weighing Further Action

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

The head, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about hundreds of minors and their relatives and it was “important to efficiently facilitate the provision of reasons so that children and their guardians can understand the reasoning behind this decision, which has had such a severe effect on their medical care”.