Dear…,
On behalf of Women Speak Tasmania, I warmly invite you to attend an important Public Forum on Youth Gender Distress: Pathways to Holistic Care, to be held at the Parliament Reception Room, Parliament House, Hobart, on Thursday, 27 November 2025 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm
This forum will examine one of the most pressing issues in child and adolescent health today – how best to care for young people experiencing gender distress. The event will bring together eminent psychiatrists and clinicians who are leading national voices on this issue:
- Dr Phillip Morris, President, National Association of Practising Psychiatrists
- Dr Dianna Kenny, Council Member, University of Sydney Association of Professors
- Dr Andrew Amos, Academic Psychiatrist, James Cook University
These speakers are signatories to the Open Letter (March 2025), endorsed by 100 health clinicians, which raised concerns with Australian health authorities about the risks of medicalised interventions for children and adolescents with gender distress.
In response to these concerns, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has asked the NHMRC to develop new Australian guidelines (report due 2027). Additionally, in January this year, Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls suspended puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for patients under 18, following serious governance concerns.
Here in Tasmania, former Health Minister Guy Barnett has previously urged the Commonwealth to conduct a national review to ensure that youth gender services reflect best practice, safeguard child wellbeing, and meet the highest standards of care.
The forum will explore:
- The latest international evidence, including the UK Cass Review
- Legal findings such as Re Devin, which highlighted risks of harm and failures in clinical impartiality
- International shifts in medical policy (e.g., Sweden, Finland, UK, US reviews)
- Safer, evidence-based, and holistic pathways for supporting vulnerable young people
We believe this forum will provide Tasmanian Legislative Council members and the broader community with a valuable opportunity to hear directly from leading experts, ask questions, and engage in constructive discussion about the best path forward for children and families.
We would be honoured by your presence at this important event.
Please RSVP to [email protected] by 17 November 2025
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Elizabeth Caballero (retired GP)
Director – Women Speak Tasmania