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The state government released confidential details about the parent of a transgender teenager – information she says potentially exposed her teen – to a unknown individual.

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Invasion of Privacy”

The revelation emerged as the state government was accused of “coercion” and “an invasion of privacy” after demanding confidential health records from guardians of trans youth who are considering a additional legal challenge to its disputed ban on puberty blockers.

Recent Official Order on Hormone Treatments

Recently, the Queensland health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a new order prohibiting the use of hormone blockers for transgender patients, shortly after the state’s supreme court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Media has interviewed four mothers who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a statement of reasons – a formal explanation of why the authorities made a decision to ban hormone treatments in the state. By law, the document must be provided under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Demanded Medical Details

Each were asked by the health authorities for details of their teen’s health background, including “your child’s name, their date of birth and any supporting documents which supports your child having a medical confirmation of gender dysphoria”.

The details were requested before the explanation would be released.

The email, which has been reviewed by the Guardian, also instructed them to “please also confirm if your child is a client of the youth gender service so that we can verify the information submitted with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the email, which was dispatched last Friday.

Parents Describe Demand as Invasion of Privacy

All four mothers characterized the request as an violation of confidentiality.

One parent said she was hesitant to divulge the details because the authorities had mistakenly sent her data to a another individual.

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

Case of the Mother

Louise*, who must remain anonymous because it would also reveal or expose her child, was among those who asked for a statement of reasons both times.

In May, the agency sent a reply meant for her to another parent, disclosing her name and address – and the detail that she had a trans teen – to a third party. She said a government employee later apologised over the phone; the Guardian has seen an message from the agency admitting the mistake.

She said she felt “sick and unsafe” as a consequence of the error.

“My child is incredibly private. She is immensely fearful of being exposed in any social setting. She doesn’t like people to know that she’s transgender,” Louise said.

“I honor that to my core as much as possible. The only time I ever, ever share is out of necessity for obtaining entry to supports and only to people I consider trustworthy and I trust completely.”

Louise was particularly concerned about the suggestion it would be “confirmed” by the hospital.

She said the demand was “threatening” and “feels threatening”.

Other Parent Voices Concerns

Another mother said she was not comfortable revealing the health background of her seven-year-old gender-diverse child.

“It’s not my information, it’s a child’s details,” she said.

“To imagine that that data could inadvertently be disclosed someday, in any way, you know, although that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to them.”

She responded saying the agency had asked for an “excessive level of detail”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to another entity that requested it, particularly in the context of the present environment,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private information. You would not reveal, for instance, your medical condition to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and careful to provide such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”

Legal Service Weighing Further Action

The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the mother in her challenge, was considering a second lawsuit, it said last week.

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 reasons so that minors and their parents can comprehend the reasoning behind this decision, which has had such a severe effect on their access to healthcare”.

Government Position on Prohibition

The authorities has repeatedly said the ban would remain in place until a review into trans healthcare had been finished.