Dec 8, 2025 – More than 140 medical professionals are among the 415 signatories to an open letter urging the Queensland Government to reinstate healthcare for trans youth.
The signatories include GPs, psychologists, child psychiatrists, endocrinologists, as well as health organisations such as the Nurses and Midwives’ Union, AusPATH, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health.
Unions and other organisations also signed on, including the Queensland Council of Unions, the Queensland Council of Social Services, in addition to 123 academics.
“Politicians have no place overriding parents and dictating private medical decisions made between patients, their families and qualified clinicians,” the letter states.
“Queensland now stands alone as the only state removing this vital support from young people - a decision that defies expert medical consensus, global guidelines, community expectations and the government’s own human rights obligations.”
The letter also highlights that an independent Queensland review only last year confirmed that gender-affirming care was both safe and effective, and delivered to a high standard at the Queensland Children’s Gender Service.
“Every young person in Queensland is entitled to receive medical care without political interference,” the letter said, adding: “Denying care is not a neutral act - doing nothing is not harm-free”.
The quotes below have been provided by signatories.
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown:
“The fact that so many health organisations and frontline practitioners have signed this open letter shows the ban does not have the backing of those who actually understand this care or the critical role it plays in young people’s lives.”
Eloise Brook, CEO of AusPATH (the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health), which represents nearly 700 healthcare professionals and researchers.
“Medical practitioners follow guidelines grounded in rigorous research and clinical evidence. The science is clear, and so is the harm.
“When young people are cut off from the care they need, the consequences are immediate and devastating - rising distress, worsening mental health and increased risk of self-harm.
“This decision is already harming trans children and the families who support them, especially those who cannot afford private care.
“We are calling on the Queensland government to immediately restore access to puberty blockers and hormone treatment for the small number of young people who need them. Trans children and their families deserve better.”
Jemma Clifton, Research Lead in Mental Health & Suicidality, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (LHA):
“Politicians should not be deciding what care is appropriate for young people. If we genuinely want to ensure young people receive appropriate care, we must invest in multi-disciplinary care teams to work with them and their families to understand their needs.
“We need to stop reacting to this situation with fear and ideology. When supported, trans young people can grow into happy, flourishing adults who feel at home in their bodies.
“Puberty blockers are a safe, evidence-based and often lifesaving intervention that gives young people time – time to explore who they are with professional guidance, and time to make informed decisions about their future. This is not a risk to young people. It is a gift.”
Dr Fiona Bisshop, GP at Holdsworth House Brisbane:
"This is a human rights issue, denying basic healthcare based on gender identity, and forcing clinicians to break their fundamental oath to “do no harm”. We know gender affirming care for youth is not only safe, it is life-saving, and the ban is driven by political motivation rather than any real concern for the young folk affected. There is no place for politics in clinical decision-making.”
Frances Mulcahy, Retired GP and Secretary of QTrans:
“This ban ignores established medical guidelines and the clear consensus of bodies like the AMA and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Hundreds of health professionals and academics have urged the government to restore care. This is a cruel and damaging decision that harms young trans people. It drives stigma and discrimination against all trans people.”
Rachel Hinds, CEO Open Doors Youth Service:
"We are profoundly alarmed by the devastating consequences that the pause on gender-affirming health care is having on the mental health and wellbeing of trans young people in Queensland.
“Since the pause was initiated, we have witnessed a staggering 250% surge in referrals for individuals under 18 seeking our support—a clear sign of the urgent need for help.
“Tragically, we have been forced to close our counselling books, leaving over 50 vulnerable young people in limbo on our waitlist. It breaks our hearts to acknowledge that we can no longer provide the essential care they desperately need, highlighting the critical gap between demand and our ability to deliver support in this crucial time.”
Parents for Transgender Youth Equity (PTYE) spokesperson Carlie Morris:
"We are watching with horror at what Queensland families are being forced to endure. It is incredibly difficult to comprehend the politicisation of children’s healthcare, even after these issues have been tested in the courts.
“We hold grave concerns for the young people harmed by this ban, and profound sympathy for the families now facing its fallout."
Bridget Haire, Associate Professor Australian Human Rights Institute:
“Every person in Australia should be assured of patient-centred care when they see their doctor. The Queensland government is selectively denying that right to a population of young people who are already at increased risk of harm. That is not fair, that is not just, that is not good health care.
“Young trans people need clinical care, and the appropriate care pathway should be determined by the patient need and the clinical provider. The government should not intervene in this.
“Denying specific treatments to young trans people is government overreach. It is also unconscionably risky. Young trans people are already at increased risk of self-harm, and blocking access to hormonal treatment could have tragic consequences for some.”
Transcend CEO Susanne Prosser:
"Hundreds of doctors and health professionals have publicly challenged this ministerial ban, this tells you everything about how dangerous this policy is.
"Minister Nicholls has refused every opportunity to meet with affected families. His silence shows complete disregard for the young people whose lives his decision is destroying.
“These families want what every parent wants: the right to make their child's healthcare decisions with their doctor, not have a politician override them."
Jodie Hall, Trans Justice Project:
"Trans and gender-diverse young people and their families must be at the centre of decisions about their own lives and healthcare.The Queensland government must be held accountable for their cruel ban on gender affirming care for trans youth."
Roses in the Ocean:
“These are particularly challenging times for members of the transgender community. With fifty percent of transgender persons in Australia having attempted suicide at least once in their lives, it's important that we create safe places for the community to connect and access support, that we stand together as a united front, and that we create space for each other.
“Our Peer CARE Companion warmline has experienced an increase in calls from members of the transgender community over recent months representing 18% of our total calls at this point in time which indicates to us an increased level of distress in the community and need for connection with others who understand.”
Quote from Debbie Kilroy, CEO Sisters Inside:
“Sisters Inside stands firmly with trans young people, their families and their clinicians. Denying essential healthcare is an act of state violence that places already marginalised young people at even greater risk. Our work with criminalised women and girls shows every day how harmful it is when governments override bodily autonomy, silence young people, and put politics ahead of care. Gender-affirming healthcare saves lives, withholding it destroys them. The Queensland Government must end this cruelty and restore access to evidence-based care immediately.”
Tabitha Lean, of the National Network of Incarcerated & Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls:
“As a national collective led by people who have lived through the sharp end of state control, we recognise this ban for what it is: another attempt to regulate bodies, restrict autonomy, and punish young people for who they are. When governments interfere with private medical decisions, it is always the most vulnerable who suffer.
“We refuse to let trans young people be sacrificed to political fear-mongering. We call on the Queensland Government to reverse the ban without delay and uphold the fundamental rights, safety and dignity of every young person.”
Link to open letter: https://equalityaustralia.org.au/our-work/qld-ban-petition/
Some of the categories among the 415 signatories:
Academic 123
Health/medical professional 142
Organisation 140
Media contact: Tara Ravens (0408 898 154)
