Gender-sceptic doctor launches human rights challenge to ‘cheerleading’ trans pronouns policy

A doctor’s right to object on medical grounds to the unquestioning affirmation of children as the opposite gender faces a human rights test in Queensland.

Psychiatrist Jillian Spencer has filed a human rights complaint.

A doctor’s right to object on medical grounds to the unquestioning affirmation of children as the opposite gender faces a human rights test in Queensland, with a suspended psychiatrist filing a complaint against the state’s children’s hospital over transgender health policies.

Jillian Spencer alleges she was prevented from adopting a neutral therapeutic approach and instead forced to comply with gender-­affirming polices that risked causing substantial harm to young ­people, during the course of her employment as a senior staff specialist in the consultation liaison psychiatry team at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

In a complaint lodged with the Queensland Human Rights ­Commission, Dr Spencer, who is openly critical of gender-affirming policies, reveals that she was subject to lawful employment directions that required her to use gender-­affirming pronouns at all times in her practise of medicine and ­refrain from dissuading any child and their family from seeking a ­referral to the hospital’s children’s gender clinic, which frequently prescribes puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to young teenagers.

“I was concerned about the increasing number of children and adolescents – especially biological females – presenting with gender dysphoria in the context of co­morbid mental health diagnoses and complex psychological issues, including trauma,” Dr Spencer writes in her complaint.

“I became very concerned about the potential harm our hospital was doing in immediately using preferred pronouns, that ­unquestioningly affirms a child’s perceived identity and sets them on a treatment pathway of medical intervention that purports to transition a young person into an identity that they are likely to outgrow if interventions of this kind are not applied.”

Dr Spencer, who was stood down from clinical duties at QCH three months ago following a ­patient complaint, is seeking amendments to health policy ­pursuant to the state’s Anti-­Discrimination Act that “no health worker may be required to use a patient’s preferred pronouns” and that “affirmation of a child’s gender identity cannot be imposed on health professionals”.

She also requests acknowledgment by the QCH that a rejection of the affirmation model of gender dysphoria treatment is a protected political belief and a reasonable professional judgment that is to be respected.

Dr Spencer said the gender-­affirmative pathway adopted by QCH in her professional opinion “seemed inconsistent with best medical practice of taking an evidence-led holistic approach to child and adolescent psychiatry”.

Staff were warned at education sessions there was a “grave risk of patient suicidality” if gender-­affirming interventions were not applied.

Tension within the hospital over transgender healthcare policies boiled over when management hung a large trans pride flag in the youth mental health unit waiting room, which Dr Spencer took down on the basis the area needed to be a neutral space.

Dr Spencer says she took the action some time after becoming extremely disturbed at the ­hospital’s policies when the psychiatry team was given an education session conducted by a nurse from the children’s gender clinic on chest binding for young female patients.

Dr Spencer later began using the pronoun “adult human female” in her email signature in protest at the pronouns and was reprimanded.

A spokesperson for Children’s Health Queensland said the organisation adopted a “universal person-centred care approach”.

“We respect the individual needs and preferences of every child and young person and their right to feel safe and supported while receiving clinical care through our service,” the CHQ statement said.

“This aligns with our responsibility as a Queensland government agency – where everyone employed is bound by public sector workplace policies and a code of conduct.

“Similarly, CHQ is committed to upholding the human rights of all people who connect with, or work within, our services.

“This reflects our obligations under the Human Rights Act 2019 to act and make decisions in a manner which supports and does not limit the human rights of ­patients, families and staff, unless such limitation is reasonable and demonstrably justifiable.”

Dr Spencer’s complaint was lodged with the QHRC late last month but CHQ said it hadn’t yet been notified.