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The state government released confidential details about the parent of a trans teenager – information she claims potentially “outed” her teen – to a unknown individual.

Accusations of “Intimidation” and “Privacy Violation”

The revelation emerged as the government was charged of “intimidation” and “an invasion of privacy” after requesting confidential health records from guardians of transgender children who are considering a further court case to its disputed ban on puberty blockers.

Recent Official Directive on Puberty Blockers

Last month, the Queensland health official, Tim Nicholls, issued a fresh directive banning the use of hormone blockers for transgender patients, just hours after the high court ruled the government’s first attempt was unlawful.

Guardian Australia has interviewed four mothers who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a detailed account of why the authorities decided to prohibit puberty blockers in the region. By law, the document must be provided under the legal statute.

Demanded Medical Details

All four were asked by the Queensland health department for particulars of their teen’s health background, including “your child’s name, their birthdate and any other evidence which confirms your teen having a medical confirmation of gender dysphoria”.

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

The message, which has been seen by the media, also instructed them to verify if your child 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.

Parents Label Demand as Breach of Confidentiality

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

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

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

Situation of Louise*

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

Earlier, the agency sent a reply intended for her to someone else, disclosing her name and address – and the detail that she had a trans teen – to a stranger. She said a government employee later apologised by telephone; the media has obtained an email from the agency admitting the error.

She said she felt “ill and vulnerable” as a result of the error.

“My child is incredibly private. She is immensely fearful of being outed in any public space. She doesn’t like people to be aware that she’s trans,” the mother said.

“I honor that to my core as much as humanly possible. The sole occasion I ever, ever disclose is out of necessity for obtaining entry to services and only to people I consider incredibly safe and I trust completely.”

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

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

Additional Mother Expresses Concerns

Sally* said she was not comfortable disclosing the health background of her seven-year-old gender-diverse child.

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

“To imagine that that information could inadvertently be leaked one day, in any way, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be extremely upsetting to them.”

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

“I would not share that data to another entity that asked for it, especially in the context of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private stuff. You would not reveal, for instance, your HIV status to the government office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and very cautious to submit any of that information to a group of officials, basically.”

Legal Service Weighing Further Action

The LGBTI Legal Service, which represented the mother in her challenge, was considering a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about 500 Queensland children and their relatives and it was “important to efficiently facilitate the supply of explanations so that minors and their guardians can comprehend the reasoning behind this decision, which has had such a severe effect on their access to healthcare”.

Authorities Position on Ban

The government has repeatedly said the ban would stay enforced until a review into trans healthcare had been finished.