'Sometimes cherished, sometimes stigmatised': Chief Medical Officer urges doctors to show compassion to the trans community

Professor Michael Kidd has urged doctors to uphold “dignity, safety and respectful care” in the face of the heightened public debate on transgender healthcare.

“Transgender people have always been a part of our communities,” he told the AMA conference in Melbourne last week. “Sometimes revered and cherished, sometimes stigmatised and discriminated against.”

The former RACGP president added: “And as a gay man and a GP who has worked with many wonderful transgender and intersex people throughout my 40-year career, and as a member of the LGBTQI+ community, I’ve been concerned about some of the public discourse and the impact it is having on vulnerable people.”

He said doctors were there to offer compassionate support: “Whatever views are expressed in public discussion, dignity, safety and respectful care must remain at their centre.”

The Queensland Government has banned doctors in public hospital and clinics from initiating puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for patients under the age of 18, saying the evidence to support their efficacy and safety was too weak.

In the aftermath of the announcement in January 2025, Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler asked the NHMRC to develop national clinical practice guidelines on care for trans and gender-diverse young people.

Professor Kidd, a council member for the NHMRC, said he hoped there would be “robust and respectful engagement” on the commission’s interim advice on puberty suppression, which is expected within weeks.

“Our shared objectives include supporting our nation’s clinicians to provide evidence-based care to manage clinical risk and response appropriately to the individual needs of each patient — as we have always done,” Professor Kidd said.

He said the AMA had an “essential role” in bringing the profession together.

“We won’t always agree on every issue or every solution, but honest, respectful dialogue is a key part of progress.

“Our shared purpose is stronger than any individual difference and is driven by our shared desire for better health and wellbeing for every person in Australia.”

NSW GP Dr Michael Bonning and Victorian emergency physician Dr Sarah Whitelaw were elected AMA president and vice-president, respectively, at the conference on Saturday.

You're missing out on this article.