BREAKING: Family First can reveal that plastic surgeons are applying to have sex change operations for adults paid for by the taxpayer.
The party, which is fielding five senate candidates and up to 100 lower house candidates at the federal election, will oppose this should its Senators be elected to the cross bench.
“While of course deeply sympathising with people who for whatever reason feel uncomfortable with their biological gender, there are far greater priorities for Medicare than taxpayer-funded sex change operations,” said Katie Lush, lead Senate candidate for Queensland.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has applied for “Surgical Procedures for Gender Affirmation in Adults with Gender Incongruence” to be listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
“Australia’s health budget is under enormous pressure. If adults want elective and irreversible sex change surgery, they will need to pay for it themselves,”
Ms Lush said.
“It is alarming that the application, while not including children on this occasion, commented to policy makers that ‘medical interventions are appropriate’ for some children.
“Clearly this will not stop with adults, should the Medical Services Advisory Committee recommend taxpayer-funding for adult sex change operations at its scheduled meeting on April 3,” Ms Lush said.
The application, which has been endorsed by medically discredited LGBTIQA+ political activist groups AusPath and ACON, is laced with contested ideological terminology.
“The use of phrases like ‘assigned sex’ imply that midwives, doctors, mums and dads are wrong to assume the gender of the babies they deliver and record this on birth certificates.
“This application to access precious taxpayer funding from the health budget assumes that gender for all people is fluid, something that has no basis in science but is a key tenet of LGBTIQA+ political ideology.”
Ms Lush noted that the application estimated the cost to Medicare of “masculinising chest surgery” – which is code for removing the healthy breasts from a woman – is estimated to be $1335.70.
Other forms of surgery include elective hysterectomies, oophorectomies (removal of ovaries), removal of penises, construction of fake testicles and fake penises.
The submission says taxpayer-funded sex change surgeries are needed because a survey shows of 1,466 transgender and gender diverse people living in Australia, 62% of respondents had suicidal ideation and 10% attempted suicide.
No figures were given for completed suicides and research indicating the suicide mortality rate of people after sex change operations was significantly higher than the non-transgendered population was ignored.
Family First believes people struggling with their gender identity need excellent psychological and pastoral care, not taxpayer-funded sex change operations which disfigure them for life.
The application for taxpayer funding says “it is estimated that in 2023 there would be 64,101 transgender people assigned male at birth and 64,044 transgender people assigned female at birth that would be candidates for gender affirming medical interventions.”
This is approximately 0.48pc of the Australian population.
“These people need our love and support,” not taxpayer-funded experiments on their bodies.
“If after all the care we can muster they still want to go ahead with surgery, that is a choice they should pay for themselves,” Ms Lush said.
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