Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Dr. May Chi Lau, a Dallas-based doctor, accusing her of providing gender-affirming treatments to minors in violation of state law. This is the first time an attorney general has taken legal action against an individual doctor for allegedly providing gender-affirming care to minors. Paxton alleges that Dr. Lau provided hormone replacement therapy to 21 minors from October 2023 to August of this year for the purpose of helping them transition their gender, which is prohibited under Texas law. The state passed a law in 2023 that bars minors from receiving hormone therapy and puberty blockers, threatening medical professionals with license revocation if they provide such care to transgender minors. Paxton has a history of using his power as attorney general to target transgender people’s access to gender-affirming health care.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr. May Chi Lau is a “radical gender activist” due to her research background and work with transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. Paxton claims that Lau used false diagnoses and billing codes to prescribe puberty blockers and testosterone to patients after SB 14 went into effect. However, over 30 major medical associations have stated that gender-affirming care is medically necessary and lifesaving for transgender youth. If found to be in violation of the law, Lau could face the revocation of her medical license and a substantial financial penalty. Neither Lau nor her employer, UT Southwestern, have commented on the lawsuit.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has a history of targeting transgender individuals’ access to gender-affirming health care. He has issued subpoenas for medical records of trans youth, investigated pharmaceutical companies manufacturing puberty blockers, and sought data on Texans who changed their gender on their driver’s licenses. Two years ago, Paxton stated in an opinion that gender-affirming treatments for children constitute “child abuse” under state law. The Texas Supreme Court recently upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors after a legal challenge and pleas from parents and medical professionals. The legality of these bans depends on the outcome of the pending Supreme Court case L.W. v. Skrmetti, which will determine if a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors violates the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
Gender-affirming care for transgender youth has been deemed medically necessary and lifesaving by numerous medical associations. However, Texas’s laws restrict minors’ access to hormone therapy and puberty blockers, with penalties for medical professionals who provide such care. The lawsuit against Dr. May Chi Lau is part of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to enforce these restrictions and target transgender individuals’ access to gender-affirming health care. The outcome of the pending Supreme Court case L.W. v. Skrmetti will determine whether such bans on gender-affirming care for minors violate the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause. Until a decision is reached, individuals like Dr. Lau face potential consequences for providing care that many medical professionals consider crucial for the well-being of transgender youth.
