Queensland Redefines 'Woman' as Adult Female

Queensland’s LNP government, through Minister for Women Fiona Simpson, has redefined 'woman' as 'an adult female human being,' overturning the former Labor government’s broader, gender‑inclusive definition in the Women and Girls’ Health Strategy 2032. The change was revealed in a written answer to Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter. Simpson described a transgender person as someone whose gender identity is opposite to the sex they were born with, but did not directly state whether transgender people will be treated as women under government policy. The amendment could affect how the strategy’s recommendations on sexual, mental, maternal and chronic health — and services for intersex and gender‑diverse people — are implemented. The move follows other contested health decisions by the LNP, including a ban on puberty blockers for under‑18s in state hospitals, and risks prompting public debate despite Premier David Crisafulli’s call to avoid ideological battles.