Medical Board of Australia and Ahpra respond to The Australian's anti-trans criticism

The Australian newspaper has once again been called out for its transphobic reporting, this time by the Ahpra, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and the Medical Board of Australia.

The national organisation responsible for regulating registered health professions in Australia spoke out against a series of articles by the publication last week.

In a joint statement, Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner and the Chair of the Medical Board of Australia, Dr Susan O’Dwyer, called out the publication’s criticism of Ahpra’s decision to impose limitations on psychologist Dr Andrew Amos.

Dr Andrew Amos is one of Australia’s most prominent opponents of gender affirming care and campaigns against trans healthcare.

Earlier this year, the Queensland anti-trans psychiatrist was ordered to stop making online statements about gender and barred from having direct clinical contact with any patients.

Last month, Amos’ membership to RANZCP, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, was suspended.

Safe healthcare is free from discrimination

“The Australian has published a number of articles that have the potential to undermine trust in the role we as regulators play, and so we seek to correct the record,” the detailed statement read.

“Each and every Australian has a right to receive safe healthcare – no matter their ethnicity, religious belief, sex, gender or sexuality.”

“Doctors play a special role in the delivery of healthcare and a trusted place in society.”

“We know that the trusting relationship between patient and doctor is critical to achieving the best possible outcomes, and so the regulatory settings doctors work within are carefully designed, and regularly reviewed, to ensure they uphold safe practice and fit within the legal frameworks we operate in.”

The statement pointed out that of the 153,000 registered medical practitioners listed providing healthcare, “the vast majority never come to the attention of Ahpra or the Medical Board of Australia.”

“That is because they uphold the professional standards and the Code of Conduct we have set for them.”

The standards and Code “are clear and underpinned by evidence.”

“And doctors know that when they register to work in Australia, they must comply with them.”

“People working in other sectors and industries – such as the media – might regard the expectations we set for the medical profession as onerously high.

“We regard them as integral to maintaining public trust in the profession and providing safe care.”

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Not the first time The Australian has been called out for transphobia

In 2019, Equality Australia called out the newspaper’s “disgraceful obsession with humiliating trans people”.

Highlighting headlines in The Australian’s news section, including “They’re castrating children”, “Transgender project ‘out of balance’”, “Sex not a matter of belief”, and “Corrupting kids’ thinking”.

Following a 42-page complaint, the Press Council found The Australian breached fairness and accuracy guidelines in its coverage of transgender issues.

In 2023, the Trans Justice Project and The Victorian Pride Lobby released the Fueling Hate report.

Which documented a sharp rise in widespread and “rapidly escalating” harassment, abuse and violence towards the transgender and gender diverse Australians.

Last year, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan called out reporting in The Australian and the publication’s ongoing transphobic campaign.

The Australian published an editorial titled “School-to-clinic pipeline wrong” about the government’s Respectful Relationships program.

Less than a two-minute read, The Australian’s editorial said that Respectful Relationships teaches “children struggling with adolescence are persuaded they were born in the wrong body.”

And that “it has the potential to send children down a path towards irreversible and often harmful medical treatment.”

The Respectful Relationships website says it “teaches our children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence,” and came about because of “ongoing perpetration of violence against women” and “in response to the ongoing rise in the number of kids who were bullied.”

“This sort of ongoing attack on a program that is making a difference in kids’ lives should be stopped,” Premier Allan said.

“It’s disgraceful reporting. It’s hurtful when you consider that transgender kids are 15 times more likely to kill themselves.”

“We should be supporting them across our schools, across our society, across our community. The Australian needs to stop this ongoing campaign because it’s hurtful and harmful.”

A right to free speech isn’t free from consequences

“People from marginalised and minority communities have, sadly, all too often been the recipients of prejudice,” Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia’s joint statement continued.

“Like all Australians, registered health practitioners absolutely have a right to free speech.”

“Ahpra and the Medical Board are committed to the principles of free speech and the right of registered health practitioners to enter into professional and public debates.”

“But this right to free speech is constrained if a practitioner comments, or supports comments, that can cause harm to groups or individuals.

“If commentary becomes hateful and directed toward specific members of the community, this causes harm.

“The harm is that the commentary erodes trust in the profession as a whole, and some members of the community might fear seeing a medical practitioner and do not access the health care they need.

“In the rare instances where this is believed to have occurred, we may advise and caution the registered practitioner. But in other cases, other regulatory action may be appropriate.”

The organisations work within Australia’s legal framework and Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender.

Practitioners who register with them are aware of this, and in the joint statement, they said they would continue to have zero tolerance for discriminatory behaviour.

“Just like medical science, the society we live and work within does not stand still,” the statement read.

“It is incumbent upon us in the work we do to remain open and reflective. To do all we can to reduce harm. And we are committed to doing so.”

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