As Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion in February 2022 that equated certain medical care for transgender teens with child abuse, and the state's child welfare agency then opened at least nine investigations into parents. The same year his office asked the state police to compile a list of Texans who had changed the gender on their driver's licenses.
Texas was the first state to sue doctors under a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Paxton later withdrew his suit against an El Paso doctor, saying no legal violations were found, while a Dallas doctor he sued surrendered her medical license and is moving her practice to Oregon.
Ken Paxton's Opinions, Records Requests and Lawsuits Targeting Transgender Texans
- Paxton's 2022 Opinion Led to Child-Abuse Investigations of Parents of Transgender Teens. On February 18, 2022, Ken Paxton issued Opinion KP-0401 on "Whether certain medical procedures performed on children constitute child abuse," a nonbinding legal opinion that equated certain medical treatments for transgender teens with child abuse. Gov. Greg Abbott, citing that opinion, then directed the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents who provided gender-affirming care to their children. The agency proceeded to open at least nine investigations into parents of transgender children, and two families' lawyer said an injunction had let them breathe a sigh of relief while their investigations were paused. On May 13, 2022, the Texas Supreme Court struck down the statewide injunction on procedural grounds, letting the investigations resume, while ruling that neither Paxton nor Abbott had any grounds to direct the agency's actions.
- Paxton's Office Asked Texas Police for a List of People Who Changed Their Gender on Driver's Licenses. In June 2022, Ken Paxton's office asked employees of the Texas Department of Public Safety to compile a list of individuals who had changed their gender on their Texas driver's licenses and other department records during the past two years. DPS staff members compiled a list of 16,466 gender changes between June 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, the Texas Tribune reported from public records. A transgender woman in Austin who had changed her license said the inquiry made her feel "terrified."
- Paxton Sued Texas Doctors Over Care for Transgender Youth, Then Dropped One Case After Finding No Violation. Beginning in October 2024, Ken Paxton sued doctors under Texas's ban on gender-affirming care for minors, and Texas was the first state to bring cases against doctors. In September 2025 his office quietly withdrew its suit against El Paso endocrinologist Hector Granados, saying in a statement that "no legal violations were found," and Granados said Paxton's office never reached out before suing him. Dr. May Lau surrendered her medical license in October after the state's suit and is moving her practice to Oregon, and in December 2025 Paxton expanded his claims against her and Dr. M. Brett Cooper, whose lawyers deny them. An ACLU lawyer told the AP that even a dropped lawsuit takes "an enormous toll" on those who must defend themselves. In May 2026, Texas Children's Hospital entered into agreements with the Justice Department and the Texas Attorney General that include paying over $10 million in damages and civil penalties and creating a clinic dedicated to detransition services.
What Ken Paxton's Actions Mean for Transgender Texans and Their Families
- Federal enforcement in Texas. Texas has banned youth access to gender-affirming medical care since 2023, and KFF reports the Trump administration may have chosen Texas for federal enforcement in a state where the Attorney General has aligned policy priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ken Paxton on LGBTQ rights
What is Ken Paxton's record on LGBTQ rights under Trump?
Ken Paxton issued the 2022 opinion that led to child-abuse investigations of parents of transgender teens, and his office asked state police for a list of Texans who changed their gender on their licenses. Since October 2024 he has sued Texas doctors over care for transgender youth, withdrawing one case after finding no violation. In May 2026 his office joined the Trump Justice Department in an agreement with Texas Children's Hospital that includes more than $10 million in payments and a detransition clinic.
Did Ken Paxton call gender-affirming care for minors child abuse?
Ken Paxton's February 2022 opinion asked whether certain medical procedures performed on children constitute child abuse and equated certain treatments for transgender teens with abuse. The Texas Supreme Court later said the opinion was nonbinding and that the state agency was not compelled by law to follow it, but investigations of families had already begun.
Did Ken Paxton drop his lawsuit against an El Paso doctor?
Yes. Ken Paxton's office withdrew its lawsuit against El Paso endocrinologist Hector Granados in September 2025, nearly a year after suing him, saying a review of the evidence and his medical records found no legal violations. Granados said he wished the office had let him show he had stopped providing that care before the law took effect.
Last updated: 2026-10-25