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The state government released confidential details about the mother of a transgender teenager – information she claims potentially “outed” her child – to a stranger.

Accusations of “Intimidation” and “Invasion of Privacy”

The revelation emerged as the state government was charged of “coercion” and “a breach of confidentiality” after demanding private medical information from guardians of trans youth who are contemplating a further court case to its disputed prohibition on hormone blockers.

Recent Government Directive on Puberty Blockers

Last month, the state health minister, Tim Nicholls, issued a new order prohibiting the use of hormone blockers for transgender patients, shortly after the state’s supreme court ruled the initial ban was unlawful.

Guardian Australia has spoken to four mothers who have approached Nicholls for a official paper called a explanation of decision – a formal explanation of why the government decided to ban hormone treatments in the state. Legally, the document must be supplied under the legal statute.

Requested Health Information

All four were required by the health authorities for particulars of their teen’s health background, including the minor’s identity, their birthdate and any other evidence which supports your child having a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria”.

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

The email, which has been reviewed by the media, also asked them to “please also confirm if your child is a client of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic so that we can confirm the data submitted with Children’s Health Queensland,” reads the communication, which was dispatched recently.

Parents Label Demand as Breach of Confidentiality

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

One parent said she was reluctant to share the details because the authorities had mistakenly forwarded her information to a different parent.

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

Case of the Mother

The parent, who must remain anonymous because it would also reveal or expose her child, was one of several who requested a statement of reasons both times.

Earlier, the department emailed a response meant for her to someone else, revealing her name and address – and the detail that she had a transgender child – to a third party. She said a department official later apologised over the phone; the Guardian has obtained an message from the agency admitting the error.

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

“My child is very reserved. She is deeply afraid of being outed in any social setting. She dislikes people to be aware that she’s trans,” Louise said.

“I honor that to my core as much as possible. The sole occasion I ever, ever share is out of need for gaining access to supports and only to individuals I consider incredibly safe and I trust completely.”

Louise was especially worried about the suggestion it would be “confirmed” by the medical facility.

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

Additional Parent Expresses Concerns

Another mother said she was unwilling revealing 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 disclosed someday, in any manner, you know, even if that was unintentional, could be deeply, deeply distressing to him.”

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

“I would not share that information to any other organisation that requested it, especially in the climate of the current political climate,” she said.

“It’s such highly confidential stuff. You would not reveal, for instance, your medical condition to the minister’s office, you know. You’d be very reluctant and very cautious to provide such details to a bunch of bureaucrats, basically.”

Advocacy Group Considering Second Lawsuit

The advocacy organization, which represented the parent in her challenge, was considering a new legal action, it said recently.

Its president, Ren Shike, said the ruling had affected about hundreds of minors and their families and it was “important to efficiently facilitate the provision of explanations so that children and their parents can understand the logic behind this ruling, which has had such a devastating impact on their medical care”.

Government Stance on Ban

The authorities has repeatedly said the ban would stay enforced until a review into gender-affirming care had been finished.