Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating a second children’s hospital for transition-related care

Houston, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton His office announced Friday that it is investigating Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for providing transitional care to minors. This is the second such investigation in as many weeks as the legislature moves to officially ban gender confirmation sponsorship for minors.

Gender confirmation care is an umbrella term for treatment of gender dysphoria, or the discomfort that occurs when someone’s gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth. Gender affirmation care ranges from ‘social transition’ – using different pronouns or wearing different clothing – to puberty blockers, hormonal therapy and surgical interventions.

RELATED: Bill banning puberty blockers, hormone treatments for transgender children sent to Texas governor

Texas Legislature Recently passed a bill It would prevent minors from receiving that medical care, including puberty blockers, hormonal therapy and related surgery — although such surgery is rare for minors. Government. Greg Abbott He said he would sign the law, and it is expected to go into effect in September.

But even before these treatments were officially banned, Paxton used the power of his office to try to stop hospitals from providing such care. two weeks ago, Paxton announced a similar investigation at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, citing allegations from a hidden camera video investigation from conservative activist group Project Veritas.

On the same day Paxton announced the investigation, Parents started receiving calls From Dell Children’s, tell them their appointments have been canceled and their doctors have parted ways with the Adolescent Health Clinic.

Now, Paxton’s office is looking at Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the country. last year, Texas announced to children It will stop providing certain transition-related care, but this week the City Journal, published by the conservative Manhattan Institute, reported that the hospital has resumed those treatments.

In a statement, Harris County District Attorney Christian Menefee called for an investigation into how City Journal obtained the medical records at the center of its article, and said Texas Children should fire or terminate the contract of anyone found to have leaked medical records in violation of federal law. Patient privacy laws.

“The Attorney General used this breach of minors’ personal information to launch a legally unfounded investigation, falsely claiming that the provision of gender confirmation care violated Texas law,” Menvey said. “If providing this type of childcare were currently illegal, we wouldn’t see Republican lawmakers spending all their waking hours trying to bypass Senate Bill 14any Gender confirmation sponsorship is prohibited. “

The article does not claim that the Texas children are doing anything in violation of current state law, but rather that they are being secretive about providing these treatments. However, Paxton said his office is investigating to determine whether Texas Pediatrics “actively engages in illegal behavior and performs ‘transgender’ procedures on children.”

“Our healthcare professionals have always, and will continue to, prioritize the care of our patients within the limits of the law,” a Texas Children’s Hospital spokesperson said in a statement.

In his press release, Paxton also resurfaced his claim that it constitutes child abuse for providing a minor with gender-affirming care. Last year, Paxton issued a non-binding legal opinion, which Abbott used as a pretext to direct the state child welfare agency to investigate parents of transgender teens. Texas Supreme Court The agency said it was wrong By allowing Paxton or Abbott to set agency policy.

those investigations suspended While the litigation continues.

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