Grace Hyland hits back at ‘political’ comments about the transgender community

Grace Hyland has fired up about the politicisation of the transgender community after the PM was criticised for spreading misinformation.

Former Home And Away star Mat Stevenson’s daughter Grace Hyland has hit back at “political” comments about the transgender community, saying “people deserve treatment for their health”.

The 21-year-old social media influencer from Melbourne came out as transgender when she was 12 and has been a vocal activist for trans rights. Her father, who has also been a big supporter of the community, symbolically adopted Hyland’s best friend Belle Bambi recently after her father allegedly rejected her.

“Being trans is a medical condition,” Hyland told 9Honey.

“And being trans is something that is now being politicised into a left or right issue. I’m sorry, it’s not a left or right issue. It’s a medical issue.

“No matter what side of the spectrum you sit on, people deserve treatment for their health.”

Hyland pointed out someone living with diabetes would not be subject to an ongoing, public debate about whether they deserve insulin.

Mat Stevenson. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Grace Hyland.

“If there’s one thing I hate, it’s being politicised, because in my mind, (being trans is) the antithesis of a political issue.”

On Tuesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison was accused of spreading misinformation and “alarmist views” after his comments about gender-affirming surgery.

Asked about Warringah MP Katherine Deves’ comments to Sky News, which appeared to back away from an earlier apology on her statements that transgender children were surgically mutilated, Mr Morrison said: “What we’re talking about here is gender reversal surgery for young adolescents”.

But journalists quickly pointed out that children could not undergo gender reversal surgery in Australia as they had to be over the age of 18 years old.

A joint statement from Equality Australia, Transcend Australia, and the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPath), raised “alarm and disappointment” at the PM’s comments, inviting him to meet with trans and gender diverse people to educate himself about the challenges they face.

AusPATH president Dr Fiona Bisshop said genital surgery was only performed on adults.

“In rare cases, older trans teenage boys undergo surgery on their upper bodies,” she said, referring to what’s called “top surgery”.

The only treatment offered to children is support and psychological care. Once they reach the age of puberty they can access “puberty blockers” to stop them from developing breasts, facial hair or their voice from breaking. These are delivered through three-monthly injections but if they stop treatment, puberty changes will start to occur.

“These treatments help young people to be able to leave the house, go to school and live their lives rather than stay at home crippled by anxiety and dysphoria,” Dr Bisshop, a Brisbane GP,

said.

“The difficulties experienced by trans young people are made all the worse by politicians with no expertise attacking their care. This needs to stop.”

Transcend Australia executive officer said personal decisions about healthcare should be left to young people, and the doctors and parents that support them, rather than debated by politicians in the middle of a federal election campaign.

“It’s deeply concerning to see the Prime Minister spreading these alarmist views when the reality is that young transgender people struggle to access the care that they need, when they need it,” Mr Wiggins said.

Grace Hyland has hit back at “political” comments about the transgender community, saying “people deserve treatment for their health”. Source: Instagram

The comments come as Ms Deves declared describing transgender teenagers as surgically mutilated and sterilised is the “correct terminology” even if it is “ugly and confronting”.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the biological sex campaigner appeared to double down on the descriptions she had previously apologised for.

The PM was asked whether he still stood by Ms Deves and whether he would describe gender affirmation surgery as surgical mutilation, Mr Morrison said: “That’s not a phrase that I would use, and I’m sure it’s not a phrase that any Prime Minister would use”.

“I’m just simply saying that, you know, this is a significant surgical procedure that completely changes someone’s life and it should never be entered into lightly and it should never be entered into without a full appreciation of the irreversible changes.”

Originally published as Grace Hyland hits back at ‘political’ comments about the transgender community