Texas Chinese female doctor accused of providing -gender transition- hormone replacement therapy
On October 17, Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, filed a lawsuit against Dr. May Chi Lau, a Chinese American physician at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Lau provided hormone replacement therapy related to gender transition to 21 minors, which is said to violate Texas state law, specifically Senate Bill 14.
This case marks a significant precedent as it is the first known lawsuit initiated by a state Attorney General against an individual physician regarding alleged violations of gender transition care restrictions for minors.
Attorney General Paxton accused Dr. Lau of administering hormone replacement therapy from October 2023 to August 2024 with the intent of facilitating gender transition in these minors. Senate Bill 14, enacted in 2023, prohibits hormone replacement therapy and other forms of gender-affirming care for individuals under 18.
In a statement on the same day, Paxton asserted, “Texas has passed laws to protect children from these dangerous and unscientific medical interventions. These interventions can have irreversible detrimental effects, and doctors who continue to provide such harmful ‘gender transition’ medications and treatments will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Attorney General’s office alleges that Dr. Lau employed “false diagnoses and billing codes” to disguise “illegal prescriptions.” If found guilty, Dr. Lau could lose her medical license and face substantial fines.
Several state Attorneys General, including Paxton, have summoned hospitals and clinics providing similar care to minors for patient records. According to the Movement Advancement Project, a national LGBTQ think tank, 26 states have enacted laws prohibiting at least some forms of gender-affirming care for minors.
The limitations on gender transition care in Texas became law after Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 in June 2023, although initial legal challenges from families and physicians temporarily halted its implementation. In September 2023, the Texas Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect during the appellate process, subsequently lifting an earlier injunction in June of this year, which permitted the law to remain in effect.
Dr. May Chi Lau is a well-known adolescent and women’s health expert in the Dallas area and has received multiple awards for her contributions to the field.