Dr Jillian Spencer's nomination confirmed

Dr Jillian Spencer is nominated for the position of President Elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANCP).

Dr Spencer is a senior child and adolescent psychiatrist from Queensland, Australia. In April 2023, she was removed from clinical duties at Queensland Children’s Hospital due to her voiced concerns about the current gender affirming care model for minors. She has worked for Queensland Health for 21 years.

Dr Spencer is standing up to ensure children with gender distress receive evidence-based care. The claim of a 2024 review that the treatment provided by the Queensland Children’s Gender Service (QCGS) is evidence-based is highly contentious. The review has been strongly criticized, including by those who say that the panel undertaking the review did not review available evidence to the degree required to claim the treatment is evidence based. International reports such as the Cass Review, which included a series of systematic reviews of evidence, found a lack of evidence for such treatment. Dr Spencer also stands for the principle that no one should get fired or disciplined for believing that people cannot change sex.

In November 2024, Dr Spencer submitted her nomination to run for President-Elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). However, activists petitioned the association to remove her nomination and cancel her involvement in what should be a free and democratic process. A letter penned by clinicians and researchers of various disciplines, was sent to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in support of Dr Spencer’s nomination. You can view the letter and its signatories here.

It is encouraging that activists were not successful and the RANCP has now confirmed that Dr Spencer’s nomination meets the criteria outlined in the Board Election Regulations. LGB Alliance Australia welcomes this news and wish her success. Nominations will be submitted to the Fellowship for voting on 23 February 2025. Voting will close on 25 March 2025 at 5.00pm AEDT and the College will notify the result by 31 March 2025.