I am a transgender teenage girl who lives in Queensland, Australia, and went on puberty blockers, after spending nearly three years on the gender clinic waitlist. I have experienced, firsthand, the importance of gender-affirming care for trans youth. I have had to face the harsh reality of this world, where many see me as indoctrinated, sick, or abused. I have seen journalists, celebrities, politicians, and doctors publicly debate my existence and whether I deserved healthcare. I didn't know a single person like me; I felt disconnected from my friends, I struggled with internalized transphobia, and I thought there was no hope for me. I struggled with numerous near-fatal suicide attempts and overdoses and missed almost a year of schooling. After countless appointments, education sessions, tests, and assessments, my medical team and I determined that the appropriate course of action would be to begin a small dose of estrogen. This changed my life almost overnight: my mental health improved, I began to feel comfortable in my body, and I was able to return to school. Now, years later, I am able to live my life as any other girl my age can, and I owe that to the treatment I received when I was younger. I would not be here today if I had been denied access to the care I needed.

I am one of the lucky ones. I had supportive parents, well-documented gender expression from birth, and an amazing group of medical experts surrounding me. Unfortunately, kids across the state are now being denied the same treatments that changed my life.

I am left in shock and disappointment in light of the decision made by the Queensland government on the 28th of January to dismantle the medical safety net for those struggling with gender dysphoria, like I did. The lifesaving treatment, a beacon of hope for transgender teenagers and children, came to an abrupt halt. No matter where you stand in politics, the truth is that this is a matter between experienced medical professionals, patients, and their parents.

Clinicians at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne report that close to half of the adolescents who present with gender dysphoria have contemplated suicide, and about a quarter have made at least one attempt. We cannot overlook these disturbing facts (source: The Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability).

We therefore call on the Queensland government for a prompt reversal of this regressive decision and to rekindle a system that supports transgender children and teenagers. Let these young people continue their journey in embodying their true identity comfortably and safely, just as I did. Undeniably, this is a matter of life and death.

Please sign and share this petition to urge the Queensland government to immediately reverse this reckless decision.

If you would like to sign as an organisation, public figure, member of parliament, researcher, or healthcare professional, please complete this form.

You can find more information gender affirming care here.