The Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) government announced on January 28 it would stop providing puberty blockers and hormone therapies to young transgender people. The ban applies to new patients under 18 years old in state-run clinics.
It was immediately protested by activists, LGBTIQ advocates and doctors, with a passionate snap rally on January 29 outside health minister Tim Nicholls’ electoral office.
Kamala Emanuel, a senate candidate for the Socialist Alliance, explained in a campaign video that puberty blockers prevent permanent changes in young people’s bodies.
These medical services were previously provided through publicly funded clinics in Queensland. The decision means that only those with the money will be able to access this medical service through private clinics.
Emanuel said a review last year had found that gender-affirming health care in Queensland had been provided “according to international guidelines and best practice”.
“There are safeguards in place so that the people who are provided with services are those who need them.”
She said the report in fact made the case for increasing funding to these services, not cutting access.
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Greens MP Michael Berkman also criticised the snap decision, telling the Guardian that the LNP “thinks that 10 years is old enough to go to prison, but that a 17-year-old and their family can’t decide what health care they need”.
“This is essential treatment for people born intersex and for young people experiencing gender dysphoria,” he said. “Hormone therapy and puberty blockers save lives.”
Nick Yim, Queensland president of the Australian Medical Association, said “there is a reasonable expectation that government decisions prioritise expert advice over ideological views”.
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown told the Guardian that “this will be catastrophic for young trans people and their families when the evidence on the benefits of hormone treatments is clear and well established”.
“This move is at odds with the current evidence base, expert consensus, health services in all other Australian states and territories and the majority of clinical guidelines around the world,” she said.
The Guardian also reported that it had “repeatedly” sought clarity from the then opposition leader, now premier, David Crisafulli about the LNP’s position on the use of puberty blockers before last year’s election. But his office did not acknowledge or respond to the questions.
Emanuel criticised the LNP government for “wanting to look like they are protecting children, [but] they’re actually not protecting children”.
She said they are using the right’s culture war playbook because “they’ve got nothing that they can positively contribute to dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, dealing with the housing crisis and dealing with the climate crisis, which is a big existential threat to the children of the state”.
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