### Texas Attorney General Sues Doctor Over Alleged Gender Transition Care for Minors

In a groundbreaking legal move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Dallas doctor, accusing her of providing transition-related care to nearly 24 minors in defiance of state law. This unprecedented action marks the first time an attorney general in the United States has taken such steps against an individual physician under these circumstances.

"Texas enacted a law to safeguard children from these dangerous and unscientific medical interventions that result in irreversible and harmful consequences," Paxton declared in a statement on Thursday. "Physicians who continue to administer these harmful 'gender transition' medications and treatments will face the full force of the law."

The statement from Paxton’s office claims that the physician, identified as Dr. Lau, engaged in deceptive practices by using false diagnoses and billing codes to disguise the illegal prescriptions. Should Dr. Lau be found in violation of the law, she risks losing her medical license and could face financial penalties amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Texas instituted its restriction on transition-related care for minors in June 2023, with Governor Greg Abbott signing the measure into law. Initially, the law was blocked by a court due to a lawsuit filed by families and healthcare providers. However, in September 2023, the Texas Supreme Court permitted the law to take effect pending ongoing appeals from the state. The court's ruling in June this year further cemented the law by overturning and reversing the previous injunction.

Across the United States, 26 states currently have bans on various forms of gender-affirming care for individuals under 18, according to the LGBTQ think tank Movement Advancement Project. Paxton, along with a few other attorneys general, has subpoenaed hospitals and medical practices for patient records related to such care for minors.