Parents Greg and Diane Spearritt on puberty blockers, hormone therapy pause

Parents of trans children have called on the Qld government to consider the risk of not treating children, days after it was announced gender-affirming treatments of puberty blockers and hormone therapy was to be paused for people under 18.

Christine Schindler

2 min read

January 31, 2025 - 1:06PM

Toowoomba Chronicle

Diane and Greg Spearritt said the risk was much greater denying gender-affirming care to trans young people, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, after the state government halted the therapy. Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Picture: Christine Schindler

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Toowoomba trans-parents Diane and Greg Spearritt say denying clinical treatments to gender-questioning or gender diverse children will only increase their distress and risk of harmful behaviours.

On Tuesday, Qld health minister Tim Nicholls announced the statewide “pause” of gender-affirming treatment of puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children under 18 after an alleged incident regarding the treatment of a 12-year-old at the Cairns Sexual Health Service.

It comes less than a year after an independent review into Queensland’s gender service was found to “provide safe, evidence-based care that is consistent with national and international guidelines”.

“We’re worried about a tiny cohort of people who are already distressed,” Mr Spearritt said.

“What they aren’t considering is the risk of not treating children.

“We have no problem with investigating Cairns, but the statewide pause is a backward move.”

It is estimated 2-3 per cent of young people in Australia identify as transgender, gender diverse or non-binary, many at very high risk of poor mental health.

Studies show an alarming 48 per cent of trans young people have attempted suicide and three out of four experience anxiety and depression.

When the Spearritt’s son told his parents he was trans, Mrs Spearritt said they “didn’t understand it at all”.

That was before the 2017 opening of the Queensland Children’s Gender Service so finding treatment for him was difficult.

Luckily Mrs Spearritt worked as a doctor at the time so was able to find a private pediatrician for their son.

But the journey wasn’t easy, and as their son had already gone through puberty.

What he faced was “expensive and often traumatic medical interventions,” she said.

“We fully understand the impact of not having access to the medical pathway that’s now been paused.

“Puberty is not reversible.

“For some kids, it’s enough to socially transition – change your appearance without doing anything else medically, but for some kids, puberty blockers are a lifesaver.”

Wanting to respect their adult son’s privacy, the Spearritt’s were reluctant to speak openly of his health, but said throughout the process “he was consistent and persistent, and he never wavered”.

They said their advice from the doctor was “just stand there and let’s see”.

“There was no pressure to go down any particular path,” Mr Spearritt said.

“You know if you love your kids you don’t have a choice but to go on the journey.

“It may be they don’t turn out to be trans – great.

“If they do – also great, it’s not a death sentence.”

The most important thing for them, they said, was social and family acceptance, and while there were ups and downs during his adolescence, the school he attended “really tried” to help them, and that, coupled with “a good small group of kids around him” gave them hope.

That hope made them start PFLAG Toowoomba, a group dedicated to parents of the LGBTQI+ community, almost a decade ago.

Since then they have spoken to parents going through similar experiences, parents where the news “knocks them off their feet” to parents who have found acceptance.

“Maybe they are immature, but they will be the person that they are,” Mr Spearritt said.

“They’ll determine who they are themselves.

“No one else can do it.”