LGB Alliance Australia welcomes Queensland’s decision to pause puberty blockers
LGB Alliance Australia welcomes Queensland’s decision to continue the pause on the use of puberty blockers as a vital step to protect children and young people from lifelong harm.
The Independent Review Advice Report acknowledges this is a deeply contested public policy issue. However, the report highlights the lack of high-quality evidence to support this treatment for minors. Put simply, the evidence base in this area is “limited”.
Our consistent position has been that the medical establishment should lead this reform, not government intervention. We have consistently advocated for strong internal safeguards, clinical independence and evidence-based practice.
However, Australian gender medicine has been shaped by ideology, losing focus on long-term wellbeing, the principle that should guide paediatric care.
When medical institutions fail to correct course, governments must act. Queensland has now taken that responsibility.
This issue is deeply personal for us. We know that many of the children and young people referred to these services are gender non-conforming or distressed, and some are trying to make sense of emerging same-sex attraction. It is therefore notable that the body of the Review does not address sexual orientation or explicitly consider the experiences of lesbians and gay men.
Many also have comorbidities that require careful assessment, including autism, ADHD, trauma, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidality, isolation and family conflict.
These conditions are serious and deserve focused care, not automatic placement on medical pathways that may obscure underlying needs.
Many distressed young people are, in fact, children who grow up to be gay or lesbian and with proper support, can thrive and embrace their sexuality.
They deserve the chance to mature without being placed on medical pathways that mask or interrupt that process.
Queensland’s decision begins the urgent task of protecting these young people from unnecessary and irreversible interventions.
The Review acknowledges that some young people do detransition or experience regret, and that those who have already undergone medical treatment must be supported with long-term, appropriate medical and psychological care.
The Queensland decision will remain in place until the results of the Pathways Trial (UK) are known in 2031. Our comments on the Pathways Trial can be found here:
We commend the Queensland government for taking this principled, evidence-based step toward safeguarding vulnerable children and young people.
We thank Professor Vine and the committee for their contribution to deepening public understanding of this complex issue.
We also extend our gratitude to Jillian Spencer for her integrity and courage in speaking up, and for the significant role she has played in advancing this conversation.
Finally, we urge every Health Minister in Australia to read this report and take action to ensure the highest standards of care for young people.
Independent Review Report Links