Texas AG Files Lawsuit Against El Paso Doctor for Providing Gender-Affirming Treatments to Minors

The Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has initiated legal proceedings against Dr. Hector Granados, a pediatric endocrinologist in El Paso, for allegedly violating a contentious state law by providing gender-affirming medical treatment to minors. This is the second lawsuit of its kind arising from Senate Bill 14, which was enacted in 2023. This legislation forbids healthcare providers from prescribing hormone therapy or puberty blockers to aid juveniles in transitioning.

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Allegedly, Dr. Granados prescribed these remedies to more than 20 minors, including those as young as 12, for gender dysphoria. Paxton refers to Granados as a "radical gender activist" in the lawsuit, asserting that he is circumventing the law's intent and promoting a medical transition that is incompatible with biological sex.

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The significance of providing essential care for this underserved population has been underscored by Granados, who co-founded El Paso's first clinic dedicated to treating transgender adolescents in 2015. "There is a significant need for the care of trans youths," he stated in a previous interview, emphasizing the scarcity of clinicians who are trained in this field.

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In addition, the lawsuit accuses Granados of misclassifying gender-affirming treatments as essential for precocious puberty in medical records, which is considered fraudulent. The legal battle is raising urgent concerns about minors' rights to seek gender-affirming care, the implications of legislative restrictions on healthcare professionals, and medical ethics as it unfolds. Dr. Granados has refrained from providing public commentary on the lawsuit as it advances through the courts.

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