One Nation senators face backlash over comments on transgender children
One Nation senator Tyron Whitten called parental support for transgender children "child abuse" in a YouTube interview, drawing criticism after fellow senators made similar remarks contradicted by official health data.
Australian minor party One Nation senator Tyron Whitten has said in an interview with a fringe YouTube channel that parents who support their transgender children are effectively committing child abuse. Speaking at Parliament House, he argued there are only two genders, describing anything else as "mental illness."
Guardian Australia has since surfaced comparable remarks from fellow One Nation senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts. Roberts said in June that claims about changing one's sex were a "distortion of science." Hanson, in a March 2024 interview, criticised what she described as life-altering surgeries being performed on minors.
Facts contradict the claims
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) states that around 2-3% of young Australians aged 11 to 18 identify as transgender or gender diverse. It also clarifies that most gender-affirming surgeries are not legally permitted for minors within Australia's public health system — the only exception being breast reduction surgery for trans men in extreme cases. Hormone treatments generally require parental consent and professional assessment.
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown criticised the comments, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the population yet are being targeted in what she called a divisive culture war that causes real harm to a marginalised community.
Separately, the ABC reported remarks from former One Nation WA election candidate Parminder Singh, who described being gay as a mental illness. Hanson distanced the party from his comments, while senator Barnaby Joyce rejected Singh's views and defended One Nation's record on LGBTI inclusion.
