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The Queensland government released private information about the parent of a trans teenager – information she claims potentially “outed” her child – to a stranger.

Allegations of “Intimidation” and “Privacy Violation”

The disclosure emerged as the state government was accused of “coercion” and “an invasion of privacy” after demanding private medical information from guardians of trans youth who are considering a additional court case to its disputed prohibition on puberty blockers.

Latest Government Order on Puberty Blockers

Last month, the Queensland health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive banning the use of puberty blockers for transgender patients, shortly after the high court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Guardian Australia has interviewed several parents who have approached Nicholls for a legal document called a statement of reasons – a detailed account of why the authorities made a decision to ban puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the document must be supplied under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Demanded Medical Details

Each were required by the Queensland health department for particulars of their child’s medical history, including the minor’s identity, their birthdate and any supporting documents which supports your child having a medical confirmation of gender identity disorder”.

The information were sought before the explanation would be provided.

The message, which has been reviewed by the Guardian, also instructed them to verify if your child is a client of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can verify the data provided with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the communication, which was dispatched last Friday.

Mothers Label Demand as Breach of Confidentiality

All four mothers characterized the demand as an invasion of privacy.

A mother said she was reluctant to share the details because the authorities had mistakenly sent her information to a different parent.

“It feels like having to reveal your teen to actually get a reply; like, it’s terrifying,” she said.

Situation of the Mother

Louise*, who cannot be legally identified because it would also reveal or expose her teen, was among those who asked for a explanation on multiple occasions.

Earlier, the agency emailed a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her name and location – and the fact that she had a trans teen – to a third party. She said a department official later said sorry by telephone; the Guardian has seen an email from the department confirming the mistake.

She said she felt “sick and unsafe” as a result of the blunder.

“My child is very reserved. She is immensely fearful of being outed in any social setting. She dislikes anyone to know that she’s trans,” Louise said.

“I respect that to my core as much as humanly possible. The only time I ever disclose is out of necessity for obtaining entry to services and only to people I consider trustworthy and I trust completely.”

The parent was particularly concerned about the implication it would be “confirmed” by the hospital.

She said the demand was “threatening” and “seems coercive”.

Additional Parent Voices Worries

Another mother said she was not comfortable disclosing the medical history of her young non-binary child.

“It’s not my information, it’s a seven-year-old’s information,” she said.

“To think that that data could accidentally be leaked one day, in any manner, you know, although that was accidental, could be extremely upsetting to them.”

She responded saying the department had requested an “extraordinary amount of information”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to any other organisation that requested it, particularly in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such highly confidential stuff. You wouldn’t disclose, for instance, your medical condition to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and careful to provide any of that information to a bunch of bureaucrats, essentially.”

Advocacy Group Weighing Further Action

The LGBTI Legal Service, which assisted the mother in her challenge, was considering a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about hundreds of minors and their relatives and it was “important to promptly enable the supply of explanations so that minors and their parents can understand the reasoning behind this ruling, which has had such a severe effect on their medical care”.

Government Stance on Prohibition

The authorities has consistently said the prohibition would stay enforced until a review into gender-affirming care had been finished.