Trans teens suddenly lose focus as Texas attorney general investigates Austin hospital

Teens receiving transition-related medical care in Texas learned this week they would no longer have access to their doctor as the Austin hospital where the treatment was taking place is under scrutiny by state officials as part of their efforts to crack down on trans people. health care.

families said The Texas Tribune news came out of the blue that Dell Children’s Medical Center would no longer offer previously planned treatments like puberty blockers, leaving them scrambling to find new providers in a state where trans healthcare is few and far between. The hospital confirmed in a statement to Grandstand that “the doctors who previously worked at the clinic will leave.”

Some have even considered moving rather than cut care, a parent told the outlet.

“The last two days have been through feelings of not wanting to leave a home, a community and the schools we love,” said one mother, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “But then how much stress would be relieved and what a relief it would be to be in a place where this was not a question; That part, I think, cannot be underestimated.”

Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation at the facility, stating that potentially illegal conduct was taking place, though he did not specify any charges or set out what laws would be violated.

“It is deeply disturbing and there is no place for it in Texas,” he said.

The announcement of the investigation came shortly after Project Veritas, a far-right group, released a video known to use deceptive editing to produce hidden camera “sting” videos against liberal causes, which claimed the hospital was offering gender-affirming care for children as young as eight.

“Our organization prohibits surgery and the prescription of hormone therapy for the treatment of gender dysphoria in children,” the hospital said in a statement to NBC News. “While our pediatric and adolescent medicine clinics do not provide these interventions, we do provide a safe and nurturing place for children to receive other forms of primary care and treatment, including treatment of illness and injury, well-baby visits, and exams. school physicists.

The state is attempting to ban gender-affirming care for anyone under the age of 18.

Last year, the governor of Texas, following the advice of the attorney general, ordered state officials to investigate gender-affirming care as child abuse.

Texas is one of several conservative states across the country seeking to limit or outright ban gender-affirming care for transgender people, which often acts as a lifeline for a deeply marginalized population that suffers from high rates of mental health problems. and suicide.