Minus18 calls on the Queensland government to overturn its ban on hormone therapy for trans young people.

We firmly oppose the Queensland government’s decision to ban trans young people from accessing gender-affirming hormone therapy. This policy is not only cruel but also disregards the overwhelming medical evidence that gender-affirming care saves lives.

The decision for a trans young person to undergo gender-affirming medical treatment in Australia is one that is only made after detailed medical assessments and the active support of legal guardians.

For decades, Australian and international medical bodies have officially supported the evidence that access to gender-affirming healthcare is critical to the wellbeing of trans and gender-diverse young people. Denying this care puts young lives at risk, forcing them to suffer unnecessary distress and hardship.

This evidence is affirmed time and time again, including in the largest study ever conducted, with over 28,000 transgender individuals who accessed gender affirming treatment during adolescence showed that access to early treatment was associated with better mental health outcomes and significantly reduced levels of suicidal ideation. (Access to gender-affirming hormones during adolescence and mental health outcomes among transgender adults.’ PLOS ONE, 17, 1 (2022),)

Trans young people, like all young people, deserve the right to access the healthcare they need to live full and healthy lives, and we’ve seen internationally how restricting trans healthcare is often a first step that leads towards further attacks on LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights.

We stand to protect trans young people in solidarity with their families, and the medical professionals who have long supported them. We will not stand by while their rights are stripped away.

We call on our supporters to take action:

• Join the Protect Trans Youth National Day of Action on Saturday 8th February 2025
• Contact your local MP and demand they support gender affirming care
• Show your support for trans young people by sharing their stories and raising awareness
• Donate to organisations fighting for trans rights and access to healthcare

Together, we can send a clear message: trans young people deserve care, dignity, and respect. We will not let them be erased.

Micah Scott

Minus18 CEO