Dr Jillian Spencer is an expert in her field, with over 20 years of experience as a medical practitioner and 10 as a specialist psychiatrist. She was recently stood down from her job as a senior staff specialist at a public children’s hospital in Queensland. She has been open about preferring a cautious and holistic approach to the treatment of gender dysphoria cases, rather than an automatic ‘affirmation’-only approach. But her approach is consistent with growing international medical discourse on gender treatment for minors following investigations in the UK, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Nevertheless, this cautious approach is not permitted by the Queensland Children’s Hospital. We wanted to hear her story firsthand, and find out why she chose to make such a courageous stand when so many other medical professionals are too scared to. Her story should give backbone to others who need to speak up. It also serves as a warning to parents as to just how deep this ideology has embedded itself.
