Queensland’s Supreme Court began hearing a case on October 22 that could overrule the Liberal National Party’s ban on trans youth receiving gender-affirming care in state-run facilities.
The local LBGTIQ community and their supporters rallied outside the court in Magan-djin/Brisbane in support.
The mother of a young trans person, who was days away from receiving gender-affirming care when the January ban was suddenly announced, is suing the Queensland government. She is arguing the decision was made unlawfully.
“We believe that kids deserve safe, evidence-tested healthcare that can improve their lives,” Piper Valkyrie from Magandjin People’s Pride told the rally.
“We were trans kids once and we deserved access to that healthcare too.”
Jodie Hall, from the Trans Justice Project, told 91̳ that “gender-affirming care is life-changing, and often lifesaving, healthcare for trans youth”.
“It’s appalling that a mum has needed to sue the government just to get healthcare for her child,” she said. “This is an important case for the entire trans community.”
Hall said that the government has refused to engage with the young people and their families who were affected by the ban, nor with clinicians who are experts in the area.
“All young people deserve a health system that supports them to grow up healthy, happy and with the freedom to be themselves.”
Hall believes that health minister Tim Nicholls and premier David Crisafulli are “playing dangerous games with the lives of trans youth”, all in service of a culture war designed to appeal to a “far-right minority who want to bring Trump-style hate and division to Australia”.