Parent of Transgender Teen Accuses State Government of Privacy Breach That Could Have ‘Outed’ Her Child
The state government released private details about the parent of a trans teenager – data she claims potentially “outed” her teen – to a unknown individual.
Accusations of “Intimidation” and “Invasion of Privacy”
The disclosure emerged as the government was accused of “intimidation” and “a breach of confidentiality” after requesting private medical information from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a additional legal challenge to its controversial prohibition on hormone blockers.
Latest Government Directive on Hormone Treatments
Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a new order banning the prescription of puberty blockers for trans individuals, just hours after the high court determined the initial ban was illegal.
Guardian Australia has spoken to several parents who have contacted Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a detailed account of why the government decided to ban hormone treatments in the state. By law, the paper must be provided under the legal statute.
Requested Medical Details
All four were asked by the Queensland health department for particulars of their child’s medical history, including “your child’s name, their date of birth and any supporting documents which supports your teen having a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria”.
The details were sought before the explanation would be released.
The message, which has been seen by the Guardian, also asked them to verify if your teen is a patient of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can verify the data provided with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the communication, which was sent last Friday.
Mothers Label Request as Invasion of Privacy
Each parent described the request as an violation of confidentiality.
One parent said she was hesitant to share the information because the state government had accidentally sent her information to a different parent.
“It feels like having to reveal your child to obtain a response; like, it’s frightening,” she said.
Situation of the Mother
The parent, who cannot be legally identified because it would also identify or “out” her child, was among those who requested a statement of reasons on multiple occasions.
Earlier, the agency emailed a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her identity and location – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a third party. She said a government employee later said sorry over the phone; the Guardian has seen an message from the department admitting the mistake.
She said she felt “sick and unsafe” as a result of the blunder.
“My daughter is incredibly private. She is immensely fearful of being outed in any public space. She dislikes people to know that she’s trans,” the mother said.
“I respect that to my very being as much as humanly possible. The sole occasion I ever disclose is out of necessity for obtaining entry to supports and only to individuals I consider trustworthy and I know well.”
Louise was particularly concerned about the implication it would be “verified” by the medical facility.
She said the request was “threatening” and “feels threatening”.
Additional Mother Voices Concerns
Another mother said she was not comfortable disclosing the medical history of her seven-year-old gender-diverse child.
“It’s not my data, it’s a child’s details,” she said.
“To think that that data could accidentally be leaked someday, in any manner, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”
She responded saying the agency had asked for an “extraordinary amount of information”.
“I wouldn’t provide that information to another entity that requested it, particularly in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.
“It’s such highly confidential information. You would not reveal, for example, your HIV status to the government office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and careful to provide such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”
Legal Service Weighing Further Action
The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the parent in her case, was evaluating a second lawsuit, it said recently.
The head, Ren Shike, said the ruling had impacted about hundreds of minors and their families and it was “important to promptly enable the supply of explanations so that minors and their parents can comprehend the logic behind this decision, which has had such a devastating impact on their access to healthcare”.
Authorities Position on Prohibition
The government has consistently said the prohibition would stay enforced until a examination into trans healthcare had been finished.