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The state government disclosed private details about the mother of a trans teenager – data she claims potentially exposed her teen – to a stranger.

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The revelation emerged as the government was charged of “intimidation” and “a breach of confidentiality” after demanding private medical information from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a further legal challenge to its disputed prohibition on hormone blockers.

Latest Government Directive on Hormone Treatments

Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a new order prohibiting the prescription of hormone blockers for trans individuals, just hours after the state’s supreme court determined the initial ban was illegal.

Media has interviewed four mothers who have contacted Nicholls for a official paper called a statement of reasons – a formal explanation of why the government decided to ban puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the paper must be supplied under the legal statute.

Requested Health Information

Each were asked by the health authorities for details of their teen’s health background, including “your child’s name, their birthdate and any other evidence which confirms your child having a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria”.

The information were requested before the explanation would be released.

The email, which has been seen by the Guardian, also asked them to verify if your teen is a patient of the youth gender service so that we can verify the information submitted with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the email, which was sent recently.

Parents Describe Demand as Breach of Confidentiality

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

One parent said she was reluctant to divulge the information because the state government had accidentally forwarded her information to a different parent.

“It seems like having to reveal your child to obtain a reply; like, it’s terrifying,” she said.

Case of Louise*

The parent, who cannot be legally identified because it would also identify or “out” her child, was one of several who requested a explanation on multiple occasions.

Earlier, the agency emailed a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her identity and location – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a third party. She said a department official later apologised over the phone; the media has seen an email from the agency admitting the error.

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

“My daughter 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 very being as much as possible. The only time I ever, ever disclose is out of necessity for gaining access to supports and exclusively to people I consider trustworthy and I trust completely.”

Louise was particularly concerned about the implication it would be “confirmed” by the medical facility.

She said the request was “intimidating” and “feels threatening”.

Other Parent Expresses Worries

Sally* said she was unwilling disclosing the medical history of her seven-year-old gender-diverse child.

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

“To think that that data could accidentally be disclosed someday, in any way, you know, although that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to him.”

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

“I would not share that data to any other organisation that asked for it, especially in the context of the present environment,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private information. You would not reveal, for example, your HIV status to the government office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and very cautious to provide such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”

Advocacy Group Weighing Further Action

The advocacy organization, which assisted the mother in her case, was evaluating a second lawsuit, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had affected about hundreds of minors and their families and it was “important to promptly enable the provision of explanations so that children and their guardians can understand the reasoning behind this ruling, which has had such a devastating impact on their medical care”.

Government Position on Prohibition

The authorities has repeatedly said the prohibition would remain in place until a examination into gender-affirming care had been finished.