Open letter
to QLD Government

To the Queensland Government,

We are a coalition of health and medical professionals, community organisations and legal experts writing to express our deep dismay at the Queensland Government’s decision to double down on its ban denying healthcare to young trans people. 

Denying care is not a neutral act — doing nothing is not harm-free. In fact, denying care is the one course of action guaranteed to cause lasting harm. 

The Government’s misuse of 44(1) of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 (Qld) not only contradicts the clear intent of the law but also violates the wishes of young people, parents and the broader community.  

Politicians have no place overriding parents and dictating private medical decisions made between patients, their families and qualified clinicians. 

The government claims to be acting in the public interest, which requires promoting health and safety, improving service quality for all Queenslanders, and protecting vulnerable people from harm. 

And yet it is the most vulnerable members of the public who are hurt the most by this ban on such essential health care. 

True public interest lies in ensuring every young person can access the care they need, when they need it. 

Every young person in Queensland is entitled to receive medical care without political interference.  

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. 

An independent Queensland review conducted just last year confirmed that gender-affirming care is both safe and effective, and delivered to a high standard at the Queensland Children’s Gender Service. Yet instead of acting on that evidence, the government has chosen to ignore it. 

The Queensland government has also maintained access to puberty blockers and hormone therapies for young people who are not trans — even as access remains restricted for those who are. 

The evidence on the benefits of gender affirming medical care is clear and well established. Puberty blockers and hormone treatments — for the small number of young people who need them — are essential and life-saving healthcare. 

Denying access to gender affirmation will cause immeasurable damage to those young people who need it, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide. 

Parents are rightly terrified about what this will mean for their children.  

To undermine young people, parents, families and health professionals across the state and restrict or deny access to this care is a politically motivated move that endangers further the already marginalised and vulnerable Queenslanders whom the government is supposed to protect. 

In a landmark decision, the Queensland Supreme Court ruled that the government’s Health Services Directive to enact the ban was unlawful. To immediately reinstate the ban under a different power ignores the clear wishes of community and all credible medical evidence.  

We urge the Queensland Government to immediately reverse this dangerous and damaging ban in accordance with the best interests of children, wishes of parents, the evidence of experts, and the rule of law.

Signatories:

Organisations:

  1. ACON
  2. ACT Mental Health Consumer Network
  3. Albany Pride
  4. Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International
  5. AltSpace Therapies
  6. Anglicare Southern Queensland
  7. ASHM Health 
  8. Asian Australian Alliance
  9. AusPATH 
  10. Australian Council of Social Service
  11. Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council 
  12. Australian Rainbow Veterinarians and Allies
  13. Basic Rights Queensland
  14. BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation 
  15. Carer Gateway, Wellways
  16. Community Connections 
  17. Community Living Association
  18. Diverse Voices
  19. Dowson Turco Lawyers
  20. Drummond Street Services/Queerspace
  21. Equal Voices
  22. Equality Australia
  23. Evolution Launch Support Services
  24. Flinders University Queer Collective
  25. Forcibly Displaced Peoples Network (FDPN)
  26. Free Mum Hugs, Australia
  27. GAY SKATE
  28. Gender Health Australia
  29. Gimuy Queer Collective 
  30. Goulburn Valley Pride Inc
  31. Headspace Caboolture YRG
  32. Headspace Rockhampton YRG
  33. Health Equity Matters
  34. Human Rights Law Centre
  35. Hunter Gender Alliance
  36. Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance 
  37. Inner City Legal Centre
  38. Inner West Council LGBTQ Local Democracy Group
  39. Inner West Roller Derby League
  40. International Women's Development Agency (IWDA)
  41. Intellectual Disability Rights Service
  42. InterLink Justice and Equity Centre
  43. LGBTI Legal Service
  44. LGBTIQ Health Australia
  45. Living Proud, WA
  46. Meridian
  47. Minus18 Foundation
  48. National Mental Health Consumer Alliance
  49. National Women's Safety Alliance
  50. Newcastle Parent Group 
  51. No Milk In My T
  52. Open Doors Youth Services
  53. People With Disability Australia (PWDA)
  54. Perth Inner City Youth Service
  55. Picabeen Youth Service
  56. Positive Attitude Inc
  57. Pride Centre, Victoria
  58. QNADA
  59. QTrans
  60. Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI)
  61. Queensland Council for LGBTI Health
  62. Queensland Council of Social Service
  63. Queer & Trans Workers Against Violence
  64. QuIVAA
  65. Rainbow Affinity
  66. Rainbow Catholics Interagency Australia
  67. Rainbow Families Australia
  68. Rainbow Futures, WA
  69. Roses in the Ocean 
  70. SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance
  71. Switchboard Victoria
  72. Team Rainbow
  73. The Brisbane Endocrine and Gender Service
  74. The Courageous Space
  75. The Mental Health Lived Experience Peak Queensland
  76. The Relationship Space
  77. Third Queer Culture/QPASTT
  78. Thorne Harbour Health
  79. Transfolk WA
  80. Trans Justice Project National
  81. Trans Justice Project, (Canberra, Ngunnawal/Ngambri)
  82. Trans Justice Project (Adelaide, Tarntanya)
  83. Trans.au
  84. Transcend Australia 
  85. Transgender Victoria
  86. True Relationships & Reproductive Health
  87. Twenty10
  88. Victorian Pride Lobby
  89. VMIAC
  90. WAAC
  91. Women's Justice Network
  92. YFS
  93. Your Community Health
  94. Zoe Belle Gender Collective

Individuals:

  1. Agata Krawczyk, Academic, Griffith University
  2. Amanda O'Brien, Academic, Griffith University
  3. Anneke Vos, Academic, Griffith University
  4. Baden Offord AO, Academic, Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University
  5. Belinda Hachem, Academic, Griffith University
  6. Benjamin Bavinton, Academic, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
  7. Beth Firipis, Academic, University of Adelaide
  8. Bowzer Scharka, Academic, Latrobe Law School
  9. Brianna Hammond, Transcendance
  10. Bridget Haire, Academic, CoPQTI UNSW
  11. Cara Beal, Research Director, QLD University
  12. Clare Dyer, Research Fellow, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
  13. Connie Gan, Lecturer, Griffith University
  14. Darby Carr, Academic
  15. David Colon Cabrera, Academic
  16. Dianne Smith, Academic, Griffith University
  17. Donald Robert Jeffrey, Academic, Griffith University
  18. Dr Freya McLachlan, Academic, Griffith University
  19. Dr Jess Hooley, Academic
  20. Dr Mihal Guttman-Jones, General Practitioner
  21. Dr Nathanael Wells, Academic, Kirby Institute, UNSW
  22. Dr Shauna Beech, Sexual Health Physician
  23. E Diane Stapleton, Academic
  24. Elena Marchetti, Academic, Griffith University
  25. Ewa Stefanska, Academic
  26. Felicity Ho, Clinical Psychologist
  27. Graham Neilsen, Academic, Griffith University
  28. Hana Hamilton, Academic, Griffith University
  29. James MacGibbon, Academic, UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health
  30. Jasmine Dubost, Clinical Psychologist
  31. Joanne Stagg, Academic, Griffith University
  32. Judah Teo, Academic
  33. Karen Crawley, Academic
  34. Kate Watson, Academic, Griffith University
  35. Kj Power, Academic, Griffith University
  36. Lizzy King, Academic, Griffith University
  37. Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Academic,
  38. Mary Poynten, Academic, UNSW Sydney
  39. Meisha Liddon, Academic, Griffith University
  40. Merryn Wake, Academic
  41. Michael Carden, Academic, Griffith University
  42. Paul Armitage, Academic
  43. Paul Simpson, Academic, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydne
  44. Penelope Strauss, Academic, The Kids Research Institute Australia
  45. Peta Evans-Taylor, Academic
  46. Prasenjit Mondal, Academic, Griffith University
  47. Rae Cooperm, Academic, Griffith University
  48. Riki Lane, Academic
  49. Samid Suliman, Academic, Griffith University
  50. Sandy O'Sullivan, Professor of Critical Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University
  51. Sarah Joseph, Professor, Griffith University
  52. Sophie Nielsen, Academic
  53. Timothy Jones, Academic, La Trobe University
  54. Ula Coffey, Academic, Griffith University
  55. Warittha Tieosapjaroen, Academic, Kirby Institute, UNSW
  56. Zahra Stardust, Academic, Queensland University of Technology
  57. Andrew Rayfield, Academic, Griffith University
  58. Jessie Grime, Social Worker
  59. Jessica Hazzard-White, Psychologist
  60. Patrick McGrath, Clinical Psychologist 
  61. Belinda Birtles, Brisbane Southside Psychology
  62. Canice Curtis, North Brisbane Psychologists
  63. Catherine Wilson, Clinical Psychologist
  64. Clare Billings, Clare Billings Psychology
  65. Delaney Skerrett, Psychologist
  66. Dr Ashleigh McLean, Paediatrician
  67. Dr Darren Russell, Prism Health
  68. Dr Emily Bunn Osteopath & Remedial Massage Therapist
  69. Dr Fiona Bisshop, General Practitioner/Sexual Health, Holdsworth House Brisbane
  70. Dr Gale Bearman, Retired GP and Medical Director
  71. Dr Katherine, Hawkins General Practitioner
  72. Dr Katie Wynne, Endocrinologist, University of Newcastle
  73. Dr Lauren Finlay, General Practitioner/Sexual Health
  74. Dr Lucy McPhate, General Practitioner
  75. Dr Melissa Brown, General Practitioner
  76. Dr Miranda Hann, Specialist, General Practitioner
  77. Dr Nick Seltsova, General Practitioner
  78. Dr Pauli Cundill, General Practitioner
  79. Eboni Burrows, Speech pathologist
  80. Em Millar, The Affirming Place
  81. Fenella Hansen, Between the Lines Therapy
  82. Gemma Heale, Psychologist 
  83. Genevieve Williams, Clinical Psychologist
  84. Georgia Williams, Clinical Psychologist
  85. Gregory Phillips, ABSTARR Consulting Pty Ltd
  86. Hayleigh Dunne, Psychologist 
  87. Jade Lewis, Youth Worker
  88. Jane MacLeod, General Practitioner 
  89. Janet Cartwright, Enhance Clinical Psychology Services
  90. Jasmine Williams, Social Worker
  91. Jemma Organ-Fletcher, Youth Housing 
  92. Jesse Muller Self, Inquiry Psychotherapy 
  93. Juliette Lovell, Lovell Psychology
  94. Kerry Gruber Vella, Clinical Psychologist
  95. Lumen Gorrie, Clinical Psychologist
  96. Lynn Sartori, GenderTalk
  97. Nancy Westerman, The Courageous Space
  98. Naomi Crellin, Rapport Counselling
  99. Nicholas Martin, General Practitioner 
  100. Patrick McGrath, Clinical Psychologist 
  101. Peter Gormly, Powerful Choices Counselling
  102. Phoebe Rogers, At Home Psychology
  103. Sarah Norman-Brown, Youth Counsellor
  104. Seanna Keeley, The Courageous Space
  105. Sorcha Conlan, Sorcha Conlan Therapeutic Services
  106. Tanja Takala, Clinical Psychologist
  107. Tara Scott, Living Authentically Counselling
  108. Willow Addams, Crisis Accommodation Case Manager
  109. Yalei Wilson, Fagus Psychology
  110. Sarah Lynch, Lawyer

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