By Stephanie Bastiaan
Last week, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler took to social media to express his horror at allegations aired in an ABC Four Corners investigation. The program reported that women underwent invasive surgeries, including the removal of reproductive tissue and organs for endometriosis, despite the disease not appearing in their pathology results.
Butler thanked the brave doctors who spoke up, declaring that “no one should feel scared for speaking out about poor quality of care.”
An appropriate response, but spare me the selective outrage, Minister. The culture of fear that suppresses honest clinical debate and allows harm to continue is a direct consequence of the health system and regulators you oversee.
This week it was revealed that prominent and respected Queensland psychiatrist Dr Andrew Amos has had restrictions placed on his practice by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Medical Board of Australia. Both bodies – whose boards are appointed by the Federal Health Minister in conjunction with state and territory health ministers – have barred Dr Amos from making online statements about gender medicine and from having clinical contact with patients.
The action followed two anonymous complaints and two further complaints regarding comments he made on social media and in an ABC article, including a post on X about a trans-identifying male attempting to “chestfeed” an infant and another post in which he “misgendered” a trans-identifying female activist in the UK.
Dr Amos has been vocal in his criticism of the “gender-affirming” model of care for patients with gender distress, arguing that it conflicts with evidence-based practice. He has now been silenced.
He is not the first medical professional to face professional consequences for raising such concerns.
Dr Jillian Spencer, a senior child and adolescent psychiatrist in Queensland, was suspended from clinical duties after questioning the use of puberty blockers and other “gender-affirming” treatments for minors. She continues to fight disciplinary proceedings by her employer, including a termination notice.
The message is unmistakable: speak out at the risk of your career.
For some time, medical professionals and advocates have raised concerns about the influence of gender activism within health departments and regulatory bodies. AHPRA now appears to be the latest institution facing serious questions about its credibility. If its commitment to the Rainbow Tick program wasn’t an obvious giveaway, the stark contrast between its treatment of Dr Amos and its handling of Associate Professor Michelle Telfer’s case last year certainly is.
Dr Telfer, author of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines used in gender clinics nationwide, became the subject of complaints following the Re Devin decision, in which she appeared as an expert witness supporting a mother seeking puberty blockers for her 12-year-old son despite the absence of a gender dysphoria diagnosis. The judge ultimately ordered that the child be removed from his mother’s care. Dr Telfer was criticised for giving misleading evidence and rebuked for comparing restrictions on gender treatment to Nazi oppression. Despite judicial criticism and subsequent complaints, AHPRA concluded that she had met acceptable professional standards and that no regulatory action was warranted.
Regulators such as AHPRA and the Medical Board exist to uphold professional standards and protect patients. Their authority depends on public confidence that they act impartially, proportionately, and free from political or cultural pressure. When what appears to be a stark inversion of standards arises, that confidence erodes.
Dr Amos has demonstrated himself to be an intelligent, articulate and courageous psychiatrist who grounds his arguments in scientific evidence within a contested area of medicine. Suppressing his participation in public debate is not merely overreach; in a complex and evolving area of practice, it risks undermining the very pursuit of best medical care and the safety and wellbeing of patients.
Australia remains an outlier in confronting the harms associated with gender medicine, even as other countries reassess their approaches. Minors continue to be prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones – treatments known to carry serious risks, including impacts on bone density, fertility, sexual function and long-term health outcomes.
Documents tabled in Western Australia’s parliament have revealed that the Perth gender clinic facilitates referrals for double mastectomies for adolescent minors, while news reports indicate some surgeons are willing to perform the procedure on girls as young as 13.
Despite widespread reporting across major Australian media outlets, Butler remains conspicuously absent from this debate, emerging to comment on health-related matters only when politically convenient.
Recent appointments, from Anna Cody as Sex Discrimination Commissioner to Sam Mostyn as Governor-General, reinforce concerns that ideological alignment has taken precedence over independence. When governments appear committed to a particular ideology – in this case gender ideology – confidence in the neutrality of regulatory bodies suffers. If enforcement becomes selective or uneven, trust collapses. AHPRA is now facing that reckoning not just amongst the public but from medical professions too.
The tide is turning. It may be politically expedient for Butler to look the other way while children are harmed and doctors are silenced, but that will be his legacy. Legal challenges are emerging. Public scrutiny is intensifying. The house of cards is falling.
Silencing good healthcare professionals like Dr Amos will only hasten the collapse.
Stephanie Bastiaan is Head of Advocacy at Women’s Forum Australia.
Women’s Forum Australia is an independent think tank that undertakes research, education and public policy advocacy on issues affecting women and girls, with a particular focus on addressing behaviours and practices that are harmful and abusive to them. We are a non-partisan, non-religious, tax-deductible charity. We do not receive any government funding and rely solely on donations to make an impact. Support our work today.
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