- First U.S. lawsuits targeting doctors under gender-affirming care bans
- 3 physicians accused of prescribing puberty blockers post-ban
- 20+ states restricting transgender medical care for minors
- Border community faces reduced access to pediatric specialists
In an unprecedented legal challenge, Texas authorities are pursuing civil penalties against Dr. Hector Granados and two Dallas-based colleagues for allegedly continuing gender-affirming treatments after the state's 2023 prohibition took effect. The cases mark the first enforcement actions under new laws restricting transgender medical care for minors across 27 Republican-led states.
Granados, one of only two pediatric endocrinologists serving El Paso's 700,000 residents, maintains he ceased all transition-related therapies before the ban. We followed the law precisely,he stated during a recent interview. My current hormone prescriptions address endocrine disorders unrelated to gender identity.Court documents allege Granados prescribed testosterone to a patient assigned female at birth six months post-ban.
Medical associations warn these lawsuits create dangerous precedents for physician autonomy. When state AGs can directly target individual practitioners, it chills essential healthcare decisions,noted UCLA health policy analyst Dr. Miriam Chen. Recent Medicaid data shows 68% of transgender adolescents in restrictive states now travel across state lines for care.
The El Paso case highlights unique border community challenges. Emiliana Edwards, an 18-year-old patient forced to seek care in New Mexico, described the emotional toll: Crossing state lines for basic healthcare makes you feel like a criminal.New Mexico clinics report a 214% increase in Texas youth patients since 2023.
Legal experts identify three emerging patterns in care restriction enforcement: direct physician targeting (Texas), pharmacy audits (Missouri), and mandatory clinic closures (Tennessee). Federal courts have blocked similar bans in six states, creating a patchwork of conflicting regulations.
As trials approach, healthcare providers face impossible choices. Do we abandon evidence-based protocols or risk bankruptcy from fines?asked Dallas Children's Hospital ethics chair Dr. Luis Marquez. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Campaign reports 41% of transgender youth in restrictive states now forego routine medical care entirely due to safety concerns.
