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The Queensland government disclosed private details about the mother of a trans teenager – data she says potentially “outed” her child – to a stranger.

Allegations of “Intimidation” and “Privacy Violation”

The revelation emerged as the government was charged of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after demanding private health records from parents of transgender children who are contemplating a additional court case to its controversial prohibition on hormone blockers.

Recent Official Order on Hormone Treatments

Last month, the state health official, Tim Nicholls, enacted a fresh directive banning the use of hormone blockers for trans individuals, just hours after the high court determined the government’s first attempt was illegal.

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

Demanded Health Information

All four were required by the Queensland health department for details of their child’s medical history, including the minor’s identity, their birthdate and any other evidence which supports your child having a medical confirmation of gender identity disorder”.

The details were requested before the explanation would be released.

The email, which has been reviewed by the media, also instructed them to verify if your child is a client of the youth gender service so that we can verify the data provided with Children’s Health Queensland,” states the email, which was sent recently.

Parents Label Request as Invasion of Privacy

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

A mother said she was hesitant to share the information because the authorities had mistakenly sent her information to a different parent.

“It seems like having to ‘out’ your child to obtain a response; like, it’s terrifying,” she said.

Case of the Mother

The parent, who must remain anonymous because it would also identify or expose her child, was one of several who asked for a statement of reasons on multiple occasions.

In May, the agency emailed a response intended for her to someone else, disclosing her name and location – and the detail that she had a trans teen – to a third party. She said a government employee later said sorry over the phone; the media has seen an email from the department admitting the error.

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

“My daughter is very reserved. She is deeply afraid of being outed in any public space. She dislikes anyone to know that she’s trans,” Louise said.

“I honor that to my core as much as humanly possible. The only time I ever disclose is out of need for gaining access to services and only to people I deem trustworthy and I trust completely.”

Louise was especially worried about the suggestion it would be “verified” by the hospital.

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

Additional Parent Voices Concerns

Sally* said she was not comfortable revealing the medical history of her seven-year-old non-binary child.

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

“To imagine that that data could inadvertently be disclosed someday, in any way, you know, although that was accidental, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”

She wrote back saying the agency had asked for an “excessive level of detail”.

“I wouldn’t provide that data to any other organisation that requested it, especially in the context of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such intensely private information. You would not reveal, for example, your medical condition to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and very cautious to submit any of that information to a bunch of bureaucrats, essentially.”

Legal Service Considering Second Lawsuit

The LGBTI Legal Service, which assisted the parent in her challenge, was evaluating a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the decision had impacted about hundreds of minors and their families and it was crucial to efficiently facilitate the supply of explanations so that children and their parents can understand the reasoning behind this ruling, which has had such a severe effect on their medical care”.

Authorities Position on Prohibition

The authorities has repeatedly said the prohibition would remain in place until a examination into trans healthcare had been finished.