In a controversial move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, has announced his office is investigating Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin. The investigation aims to determine if the center has performed gender-affirming procedures on minors, which Paxton claims could be unlawful.
Request to Examine Issued by Paxton
Paxton issued a Request to Examine regarding the medical center, stating that it seeks to uncover whether any state laws have been violated or any misrepresentations have been made to parents and patients. In a press release, Paxton asserted that fringe activists are using their positions in medicine and health care to force experimental, life-altering procedures onto children.
Medical Associations Support Gender-affirming Procedures
However, major medical associations in the United States support gender-affirming procedures, which include puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery for adults. Although these treatments are not currently outlawed in Texas, a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors is progressing through the state legislature.
Dell Children’s Medical Center Denies Allegations
The medical center has issued a statement denying the provision of gender-affirming procedures to minors. The statement emphasizes that Dell Children’s Medical Group prohibits surgery and prescribing hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children.
Paxton’s History of Anti-LGBTQ+ Actions
Paxton has a long history of anti-LGBTQ+ actions, including issuing an opinion that allowing one’s children to receive gender-affirming care constitutes child abuse. This stance prompted Governor Greg Abbott to order investigations into trans children’s supportive parents, most of which are currently on hold due to an ongoing lawsuit.