Open Doors Youth ServiceOpen Doors Youth Service
Open Doors Youth Service is incredibly proud to have been recognised as Community Support Group of the Year at the 2026 Queen’s Ball Awards. This award is a testament to the dedication, passion and unwavering commitment of our team, volunteers, partners and, most importantly, the incredible young people who place their trust in us every day.
For more than 25 years, ODYS has worked alongside LGBTQIASB+ young people to ensure they have access to safe, affirming and life-changing support. Over the past year, our team has continued to expand services in response to growing demand, delivering counselling, case management, psychosocial groups, domestic and family violence support, advocacy and family services to hundreds of young people across Queensland. Receiving this award is a powerful acknowledgement of the impact that specialist, community-led support has on the lives of LGBTQIASB+ young people.
While we are honoured to receive this recognition, the award belongs just as much to our community as it does to us. Every young person who has walked through our doors, every family who has trusted us, every partner who has collaborated with us, and every supporter who believes in our mission has helped make this possible.
Thank you to the Queen’s Ball Awards for this incredible honour, and congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners. We remain committed to creating a Queensland where every LGBTQIASB+ young person can live with safety, connection and pride. This award inspires us to continue growing our impact and advocating for the young people and communities we are privileged to serve.
Open Doors Youth Service (ODYS) is Queensland's only dedicated LGBTIQIASB+ Youth Service.
Open Doors Youth Service (ODYS) recently met with Professor Ruth Vine and Professor Eleanor Milligan as part of Queensland’s Independent Review into Stage 1 and 2 hormone therapies for trans and gender diverse young people.
We used this opportunity to advocate for:
Throughout our consultation, we centred the voices of young people by sharing your stories from the Share Your Story campaign. We know there are concerns around the submission process—here’s what we know so far:
You don’t need to answer every question.
You can choose which ones to respond to, or simply share your story in the final section:
“Is there anything else you would like to raise about the current evidence base and ethical considerations for Stage 1 and Stage 2 hormone treatments?” We have confirmed with the review panel that they will accept submissions from young people, families and community that only respond to the final question.
Things to consider:
✅ Word limit has now increased to approx. 800–900 words (previous word limit was approx. 150 words)
❌ Submissions will not be accepted via email
📩 You will not receive a confirmation email—please save your submission before sending. We recommend writing your submission in a Word document noting the question you are responding to.
We’re here to help.
Join our free online workshop with Equality Australia and the LGBTI Legal Service:
🗓️ Wednesday 2 July
🕕 6:00pm – 7:30pm
This session will walk you through the process and answer your questions.
We’ve confirmed with the legal team supporting the review and Equality Australia that it’s highly unlikely your submission would be released under Freedom of Information. The Review falls under Queensland Health’s robust privacy protections—among the strongest in the state. Even if your submission was accessed under the Freedom of Information it is most likely that personal details would be removed.
We raised this directly with the panel. Unfortunately, they do not currently plan to include lived experience members. However, they have emphasised the importance of community submissions. While we believe more needs to be done, we urge young people, families and allies to have their say so your voices remain central to this review.
Your voice matters. If you have any questions or need further support, please get in touch with us at ODYS.
Open Doors Youth Service Inc. acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First people and Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where we meet, live, learn and work. We acknowledge and celebrate the rich and thriving diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, the oldest continuing living cultures in the world.
