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

Allegations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The revelation came as the government was accused of “coercion” and “an invasion of privacy” after demanding private health records from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a further legal challenge to its controversial ban on hormone blockers.

Recent Official Directive on Hormone Treatments

Last month, the Queensland health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive prohibiting the use of puberty blockers for transgender patients, just hours after the high court determined the initial ban was illegal.

Media has interviewed several parents who have contacted Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a formal explanation of why the government decided to ban puberty blockers in the region. Legally, the paper must be provided under the legal statute.

Requested Medical Details

All four were asked by the health authorities for particulars of their teen’s health background, including “your child’s name, their birthdate and any other evidence which supports your child having a clinical diagnosis of gender identity disorder”.

The information were requested before the explanation would be released.

The message, which has been reviewed by the Guardian, also asked them to “please also confirm if your teen is a client of the youth gender service so that we can confirm the information provided with the health service,” states the communication, which was dispatched recently.

Mothers Describe Demand as Invasion of Privacy

Each parent characterized the request as an invasion of privacy.

A mother said she was reluctant to share the information because the authorities had accidentally forwarded her information to a another individual.

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

Situation of Louise*

Louise*, who cannot be legally identified because it would also reveal or “out” her teen, was one of several who requested a explanation on multiple occasions.

Earlier, the department sent a reply meant for her to another parent, revealing her name and address – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a stranger. She said a government employee later apologised over the phone; the Guardian has seen an email from the department admitting the mistake.

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

“My daughter is very reserved. She is deeply afraid of being exposed in any public space. She dislikes anyone to be aware that she’s trans,” the mother said.

“I honor that to my very being as much as possible. The only time I ever share is out of need for obtaining entry to services and exclusively to individuals I consider incredibly safe and I trust completely.”

Louise was especially worried about the suggestion it would be “confirmed” by the hospital.

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

Additional Parent Expresses Worries

Another mother said she was not comfortable disclosing the health background of her seven-year-old non-binary child.

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

“To think that that data could accidentally be leaked one day, in any manner, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”

She wrote back saying the agency had asked for an “extraordinary amount of information”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to another entity that asked for it, especially in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.

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

Legal Service Considering Further Action

The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the mother in her case, was considering a second lawsuit, it said recently.

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

Government Stance on Ban

The government has repeatedly said the ban would stay enforced until a review into gender-affirming care had been finished.