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The state government released private details about the mother of a trans teenager – data she claims potentially “outed” her child – to a stranger.

Accusations of “Bullying” and “Privacy Violation”

The disclosure emerged as the state government was accused of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after demanding confidential health records from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a further legal challenge to its disputed ban on hormone blockers.

Recent Official Order on Hormone Treatments

Last month, the Queensland health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive banning the prescription of hormone blockers for trans individuals, shortly after the state’s supreme court determined the government’s first attempt was illegal.

Guardian Australia has interviewed four mothers who have contacted Nicholls for a legal document called a statement of reasons – a detailed account of why the government made a decision to prohibit hormone treatments in the region. By law, the document must be supplied under the state’s Judicial Review Act.

Requested Medical Details

All four were required by the Queensland health department for particulars of their teen’s health background, including the minor’s identity, their birthdate and any supporting documents which supports your child having a clinical diagnosis of gender identity disorder”.

The details were sought before the statement of reasons would be provided.

The email, which has been seen by the media, also instructed them to “please also confirm if your teen is a client of the youth gender service so that we can confirm the data submitted with the health service,” states the email, which was dispatched last Friday.

Parents Label Request as Invasion of Privacy

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

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

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

Situation of the Mother

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

Earlier, the department emailed a response meant for her to another parent, disclosing her name and location – and the detail that she had a trans teen – to a stranger. She said a government employee later apologised over the phone; the Guardian has seen an message from the department confirming the error.

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

“My child is incredibly private. She is immensely fearful of being exposed in any public space. She dislikes people to be aware that she’s trans,” Louise said.

“I honor that to my very being as much as possible. The sole occasion I ever, ever disclose is out of necessity for gaining access to services and exclusively to people I deem trustworthy and I know well.”

The parent was especially worried about the implication it would be “verified” by the medical facility.

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

Additional Parent Expresses Concerns

Sally* said she was unwilling revealing the medical history of her seven-year-old non-binary child.

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

“To think that that information could accidentally be disclosed one day, in any manner, you know, even if that was accidental, could be deeply, deeply distressing to them.”

She responded saying the department had requested an “excessive level of detail”.

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

“It’s such highly confidential information. You would not reveal, for instance, your HIV status to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be hesitant and very cautious to submit such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, essentially.”

Advocacy Group Weighing Second Lawsuit

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

Its president, Ren Shike, said the ruling had impacted about hundreds of minors and their families and it was “important to efficiently facilitate the provision of explanations so that minors and their guardians can understand the reasoning behind this decision, which has had such a devastating impact on their access to healthcare”.

Authorities Position on Ban

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