Snap protest outside Health Minister’s office after shock ban on hormone therapies
More than 100 parents and children have protested outside Health Minister Tim Nicholls following the shock ban on hormone therapies saying “trans kids must be protected”.
QLD Politics
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Protesters have gathered outside Health Minister Tim Nicholls’ Brisbane office after Queensland became the first state in the country to ban hormone therapies for gender diverse children.
About 100 people rallied outside Mr Nicholls office in Clayfield to “stand against unprecedented attacks” on healthcare.
The rally was organised by Magandjin People’s Pride’s Hannah Redford and Piper Yasar.
Peaceful protesters could be seen waving signs saying “we will not be casualties in your culture war” and “protect our trans kids” and chanting “puberty blockers save lives”.
Mr Nicholls on Tuesday announced an immediate pause on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for new patients following bombshell revelations in The Courier-Mail of rogue activities at a Cairns clinic.
For five years, Cairns Sexual Health Service prescribed the therapies to children as young as 12 without proper medical support and documented parental consent.
Ms Redford, a mother of two transgender children, said health care was “vitally important.”
“It saves lives, and we want to protest this ban and see it reversed so that everyone can get the health care that doctors prescribe them,” Ms Redford said.
“The one of the biggest things that [Mr Nicholls] has to understand is that as parents and the young people themselves, do not make these decisions on a whim.”
Ms Redford said she is “scared” for her children and for what it means for the rest of Queensland.
“Already, they have to jump through so many hoops, and it takes years to get through the process to when they can get this gender affirming care and to just pull it out from under them without any notice, is such a huge problem,” Ms Redford.
Ms Redford’s daughter Vee attended the rally and said she had undergone puberty blockers and was in the processes of starting hormone replacement therapy.
“I am days or week aware from finally getting HRT after five years and I have just had the rug pulled straight from under my feet,” Vee said.
Another mother who said she “is a proud parents of a trans child” told The Courier Mail the decision by Queensland Government “directly impacts the safety well being and life outcomes for transgender children”.
Allan and Sarah Rae attended the rally for their 13-year-old daughter Diana who has undergone treatment for the past nine months.
“To stop now would just devastate her and be a problem for her mental health and the entire family,” Ms Rae said.
At today’s rally, Greens MP Stephen Bates, who is the federal member for Brisbane, said the move was “really, really damaging to young people and young people’s healthcare in particular”.
“We’re out here today is to try and make sure that health care in this state is of the highest quality that it possibly can be, and to make sure that young people get access to health care access to health care is a basic human right,” Mr Bates said.
“The Greens believe that everyone has the right to have their specific health need met with equity, dignity and respect, and it is in the government’s responsibility to ensure this is no different for trans and gender diverse Australians.”
In Australia standard treatments for children experiencing gender dysphoria include immediate social transition to live as their preferred sex, puberty blockers from age 10 and cross-sex hormones from age 14.
But Australian Medical Association Queensland president Nick Yim advised caution when dealing with a very vulnerable cohort of patients with high rates of self-harm and suicide, emphasising the move could be dangerous.
“Government decisions must not prioritise ideological views over respected experts and we continue to urge the Minister to follow the recommendations of last year’s independent review of the Queensland Children’s Gender Service,” Dr Yim said.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls has been contacted for comment.
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