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Tags: texas | ken paxton | doctor | youth gender care ban

Texas AG Sues Doctor Over Youth Gender-Care Ban

By    |   Wednesday, 30 October 2024 04:42 PM EDT

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against an El Paso physician, marking the state's second legal action under a law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill reported.

The suit accuses Dr. Hector M. Granados of providing puberty blockers and hormones to young transgender patients, a move Paxton argues endangers the welfare of Texas children.

This marks the second legal action against a Texas doctor under Senate Bill 14, which prohibits doctors from providing treatments intended to transition a child's gender.

Senate Bill 14 imposes severe penalties for doctors found guilty of providing gender-affirming care to minors. Physicians risk losing their medical licenses, and fines may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to the lawsuit, Granados is accused of prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to patients as young as 12, a practice Paxton contends breaches state law and poses health risks to minors.

Senate Bill 14, enacted last year and signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, bans medical treatments that "transition a child's biological sex" or support a gender identity inconsistent with the child's sex assigned at birth. Texas's Supreme Court upheld the law in June, solidifying one of the strictest state bans on gender-affirming care for minors.

Paxton claims Granados falsified medical and billing records to mislead pharmacies and insurers into administering the banned treatments. He labeled Granados a "scofflaw" who, he says, jeopardizes "the health and safety of Texas children."

The lawsuit alleges that Paxton's office did not inform the doctor of the investigation before filing suit because it was concerned Granados would alter or destroy records if notified.

The Texas attorney general's office has taken an aggressive stance on enforcing Senate Bill 14. Earlier this month, Paxton's office sued Dr. May Chi Lau, a Dallas-based physician, for allegedly prescribing hormone treatments, including estrogen and testosterone, to 21 minors under the age of 18 to facilitate their gender transitions.

"Texas is cracking down on doctors illegally prescribing dangerous 'gender transition' drugs to children," Paxton said in a statement on the Granados case. He emphasized that state law prohibits such medical interventions for minors, citing concerns over the "irreversible and damaging effects" of these treatments. Paxton vowed to prosecute any physician found in violation "to the full extent of the law."

The Texas ban aligns with similar legislation across the United States. Nearly half of the U.S. has implemented restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors, according to data from the Movement Advancement Project, which monitors LGBTQ-related policies.

In six states — Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Carolina — laws include criminal penalties for doctors administering treatments like puberty blockers or hormones to individuals under 18.

These legal restrictions on gender-affirming care have also garnered significant attention at the national level. Former President Donald Trump has pledged to pursue a federal ban on such care for minors should he regain the presidency.

In 2019, Kamala Harris, then running to be the Democrat candidate for president, expressed support for a policy that would give access to trans people who depend on state-funded health care — including inmates and detained immigrants.

Jim Thomas

Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.

© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against an El Paso physician, marking the state's second legal action under a law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill reported.
texas, ken paxton, doctor, youth gender care ban
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2024-42-30
Wednesday, 30 October 2024 04:42 PM
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