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

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Invasion of Privacy”

The revelation came as the state government was accused of “coercion” and “an invasion of privacy” after requesting private medical information from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a additional legal challenge to its disputed ban on hormone blockers.

Latest Official Order on Hormone Treatments

Recently, the Queensland health minister, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive prohibiting the prescription of hormone blockers for transgender patients, shortly after the state’s supreme court ruled the initial ban was unlawful.

Media has interviewed four mothers who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a formal explanation of why the authorities made a decision to ban puberty blockers in the state. By law, the paper must be provided under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Requested Health Information

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

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

The message, which has been reviewed by the Guardian, also instructed 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 Children’s Health Queensland,” states the communication, which was dispatched recently.

Mothers Describe Demand as Breach of Confidentiality

All four mothers characterized the request as an violation of confidentiality.

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

“It seems like having to reveal your teen to actually get a reply; like, it’s terrifying,” she said.

Situation of Louise*

Louise*, who must remain anonymous because it would also identify or “out” her teen, was among those who asked for a explanation on multiple occasions.

In May, the agency emailed a response intended for her to someone else, disclosing her identity and address – and the fact that she had a transgender child – to a stranger. She said a government employee later said sorry by telephone; the media has obtained an email from the department admitting the error.

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

“My daughter is incredibly private. She is immensely fearful of being outed in any social setting. She doesn’t like anyone to be aware that she’s transgender,” Louise said.

“I respect that to my core as much as possible. The sole occasion I ever disclose is out of need for gaining access to services and exclusively to people I consider trustworthy and I trust completely.”

Louise was particularly concerned about the implication it would be “verified” by the medical facility.

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

Additional Parent Voices Worries

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

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

“To think that that data could accidentally be disclosed someday, in any manner, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to him.”

She responded saying the agency had requested an “excessive level of detail”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to any other organisation that requested it, particularly in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.

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

Legal Service Weighing Further Action

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

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about 500 Queensland children and their families and it was “important to promptly enable the provision of explanations so that minors and their parents can comprehend the logic behind this ruling, which has had such a devastating impact on their access to healthcare”.

Government Position on Ban

The government has repeatedly said the prohibition would remain in place until a examination into trans healthcare had been completed.