Cairns gender diverse community fears precedent set for ‘politicised’ medication bans
A transgender Cairns teen blasted the state’s pause on new prescriptions for gender therapy meds, saying the gender-affirming care he had received had “changed his life”.
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A transgender Cairns teen has blasted the state government’s pause on new prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormone therapies to children, saying the gender-affirming care he had received had “changed his life”.
Matt Seaton, 16, was part of a group of about 25 people representing the Cairns transgender community in a rally outside Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch’s office on Wednesday.
The group was protesting the State Government’s recent pause on Queensland Health’s prescription of puberty blockers and hormone treatments while three separate reviews took place into the medication and its administration.
The state LNP government – which last year voted to ban puberty blockers at its annual national party conference – initiated the reviews in the wake of a Public Interest Disclosure over the “apparently unauthorised” provision of pediatric gender therapy services through the Cairns Sexual Health Service at Cairns North.
Protesters chanted “trans rights are human rights” while holding placards reading “keep culture wars out of healthcare” and “gender-affirming care saves lives”.
Mr Seaton, who commenced testosterone in October 2023, said the gender-affirming care he had received had changed his life.
“It is incredibly painful to go through puberty and life in the wrong body,” Mr Seaton said.
“I wouldn’t have made it to Year 12, without being able to start testosterone close to home and with support.”
Mr Seaton said he was concerned the government’s pause on new patients had the possibility of extending to current patients, and beyond gender therapy medication.
“The precedent this sets is terrible, what’s stopping them from pausing anything else that’s politicised?” he asked.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls was asked if the pause was politically motivated but insisted it was a decision based on gender therapy concerns across Europe, and from practising clinicians.
“There is a very significant concern about children going down that pathway and the long-term effects, and that being done without an understanding of those long-term effects,” Mr Nicholls said.
Mr Seaton said prior to receiving his prescription, he had to undergo eight months of psychological counselling, unpacking events as far back as his birth.
“If they want young people to see these specialists first, where are these specialists?” he asked.
“The waitlists in Brisbane are up to two years, if I knew I had to wait up to two years for care, I don’t know what I would’ve done, but it wouldn’t be healthy, it would be dark.”
On Wednesday, the Health Minister said there were currently about 450-500 kids in a fluctuating waitlist across the state for Queensland Children’s Gender Services, and while they would not be offered puberty blockers or hormone treatments, they would still receive a “suite of care” including psychiatric and psychological consults.
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Originally published as Cairns gender diverse community fears precedent set for ‘politicised’ medication bans
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