Liberal Senator Alex Antic Introduces ‘Dangerous And Absurd’ Anti-Trans Bill In Parliament
Image: UAP Senator Ralph Babet, Liberal Senator Alex Antic and National Senator Matt Canavan. Images: Facebook
South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic, along with One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts, UAP’s Ralph Babet and National’s Matt Canavan on Wednesday introduced a private member’s bill in Parliament to ban gender-affirming care for those aged under 18.
LGBTQI advocacy groups and medical professionals condemned the bill as “dangerous and absurd”.
The bill proposes to ban gender-affirming care for young people, including puberty blockers and hormonal treatments, and seeks to cancel the registration of health care providers, including doctors, pharmacists and psychologists, if they provide gender-affirming care to those aged under 18.
Politicising Healthcare
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown slammed the attempt to politicise essential gender-affirming care for young trans persons.
“This bill is dangerous, absurd and an attack on the rights of trans and gender diverse young people to access the health care they desperately need,” Brown said in a statement.
“All the evidence shows that denying young people access to gender-affirming care would cause them immeasurable trauma and harm and, in some cases, cost them their lives. These are deeply personal decisions that should be left to young people, their parents and the doctors treating them. It’s not something that should be up for political debate,” she said.
Brown pointed to the federal health minister Greg Hunt rejecting calls for an inquiry into care for young trans persons in 2020 after receiving advice from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) that ” withholding or limiting access to gender-affirming healthcare would be unethical and have serious impacts on the health and wellbeing of young people.”
“We have some of the world’s leading clinicians and experts in transgender healthcare in Australia and in hearing over 60 cases regarding gender-affirming care, the Family Court has never made a finding that gender-affirming care is inappropriate or denied treatment to a young person,” said Brown.
Gender-Affirming Care Saved My Son’s Life
Lisa Newey, from Parents for Transgender Youth Equity, said access to health care for political debates should not be at the cost of denying access to health care to young trans persons
“My son would not have survived, let alone thrived, without the support of family, friends and the ability to access gender-affirming care. Being trans is not a “choice” – it is being who you are at your core,” said Newey.
“We should not have to compromise our children’s access to health care for the sake of political opportunism. We as parents should not have to waste time-fighting ignorance and intolerance,” added Newey.
According to Jeremy Wiggins, Transcend Australia’s CEO, healthcare access was a basic fundamental right.
“Families all over Australia tell us time and time again that gender-affirming healthcare improved the mental health and physical wellbeing of their transgender children and without it, they fear their child may not still be here,” said Wiggins.
Bill Puts Lives At Risk
“To deny young people access to healthcare would be to deny them of their human rights and jeopardise their safety and wellbeing. Gender-affirming healthcare for transgender young people gives Australian families hope that their children will have a better future,” said Wiggins.
Just. Equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome said the proposed bill could cause irreparable harm and put the lives of young trans persons at risk.
“Study after study shows that gender-affirming health care saves lives so a bill banning it will put lives at risk. The bill also takes away the rights of parents to decide what is in the best interest of their child. Australians do not want to co-parent with politicians like Senator Antic,” said Croome.
The cruelty is the point.
So, are these clowns the same retros that told us to vote down the Voice referendum, because we should be more concerned with ‘ cost of living ‘ issues.
They never miss a beat, now resuming their usual programming.
Religofascists strike again.
This bill will never pass considering labor, greens and moderate liberals in the senate will vote it down. Its just a political stunt for attention.
If I had of been able to access transgender services and healthcare as an emerging teen, I would have been able to avoid major dysphoria, my excessively depressing future outlook and hospitalisation from self injury trying to correct my body. My HRT positively changed my life in ways, conservatives like Senator Anitc will never care about.
Thankfully, current generations of recently cracked trans eggs have access to legitimate supportive options available to them. There is a reason why affirmative transgender healthcare is best practice.
why why why – ? – should i be surprised – ? – this private members’ bill must be defeated – ! – ima one of the children that suffered decades of self harm because there was not gender – affirming medicine and treatment back in the late 1970’s for my transition – – let’s not return to the bad old days – – while i appreciate that this Bill is supported by these three idiots out of mere political expediency, i find it no less distressing that these guys can’t find it in their hearts to act with compassion and not hatred – ! – yours in transgender, ollie brooks Xx :-J