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The state government released private information about the parent of a trans teenager – information she claims potentially “outed” her child – to a unknown individual.

Allegations of “Bullying” and “Invasion of Privacy”

The revelation emerged as the government was accused of “intimidation” and “an invasion of privacy” after demanding private medical information from guardians of transgender children who are contemplating a further court case to its disputed ban on puberty blockers.

Latest Official Order on Hormone Treatments

Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a new order prohibiting the prescription of hormone blockers for trans individuals, shortly after the state’s supreme court determined the initial ban was unlawful.

Media has spoken to several parents who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a statement of reasons – a formal explanation of why the government made a decision to ban hormone treatments in the state. Legally, the document must be supplied under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Demanded Health Information

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

The details were sought before the explanation would be released.

The message, which has been seen by the media, also asked them to “please also confirm if your child is a client of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can verify the data submitted with the health service,” reads the communication, which was dispatched recently.

Mothers Label Request as Invasion of Privacy

Each parent described the request as an violation of confidentiality.

A mother said she was hesitant to share the information because the state government had accidentally forwarded her data to a another individual.

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

Case of Louise*

Louise*, who cannot be legally identified because it would also identify or “out” her teen, was among those who asked for a statement of reasons both times.

Earlier, the agency sent a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her identity and location – and the fact that she had a trans teen – to a third party. She said a government employee later said sorry by telephone; the Guardian has seen an message from the agency admitting the error.

She said she felt “sick and unsafe” as a consequence of the blunder.

“My daughter is incredibly private. She is deeply afraid of being outed in any public space. She dislikes anyone to know that she’s trans,” Louise said.

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

Louise was especially worried about the implication it would be “verified” by the hospital.

She said the demand was “threatening” and “feels threatening”.

Other Parent Voices Concerns

Another mother said she was unwilling disclosing the health background of her seven-year-old 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 one day, in any manner, you know, even if that was accidental, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”

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

“I wouldn’t provide that information to any other organisation that asked for it, especially in the climate of the present environment,” she said.

“It’s such highly confidential stuff. You wouldn’t disclose, for example, your HIV status to the government office, you know. You’d be hesitant and very cautious to provide any of that information to a group of officials, essentially.”

Legal Service Considering Further Action

The advocacy organization, which assisted the parent in her challenge, was considering a new legal action, it said last week.

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

Government Position on Prohibition

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