Nearly a year after Texas sued him, Dr. Hector Granados, a pediatric endocrinologist in El Paso, was cleared of any wrongdoing related to the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The Texas Attorney General’s office dropped its lawsuit against Granados last week, saying a review of the evidence and his medical records found no legal violations.
Dr. Granados had been among the first doctors targeted under Texas’ 2023 law that prohibits gender-affirming treatments for minors. The state accused him of falsifying medical records and violating the ban, calling him a “scofflaw” in court filings. Texas was unique in filing legal actions against doctors, aiming to stop such care through lawsuits rather than criminal charges. Granados’ case is now closed, while lawsuits against two other doctors in Dallas continue.
Granados said he wished the state had reached out before suing him. He explained that he stopped providing gender-related care to youth before the ban took effect. Afterward, he continued prescribing some hormone treatments, but only for patients with endocrine disorders unrelated to gender transition, such as hormone imbalances.
The Attorney General’s office, led by Ken Paxton, expressed strong views against doctors providing gender-affirming care. Paxton called these medical professionals “delusional” and promised to continue pursuing cases against them. He also vowed that the other doctors accused in Dallas would be held accountable for what his office described as harm to Texas children.
This legal fight is part of a wider trend. At least 27 states have introduced laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that states can enforce these bans. While some states come with criminal penalties, Texas instead threatens doctors with heavy fines and losing their medical licenses.
Advocates warn that even when lawsuits are dropped, the impact on doctors is significant. Harper Seldin, an attorney with the ACLU’s LGBTQ project, said these actions create fear and pressure among providers, casting a shadow on their work.
Dr. Granados said being sued weighed heavily on him. “It always puts a toll on you and how you feel,” he shared. Now cleared, he hopes to move forward without the lawsuit hanging over his head.
The dispute over gender-affirming care remains a heated issue in Texas and across the country, involving medical ethics, legal battles, and political debates. But for now, one of the state’s first doctors accused of breaking the law has been found to be following it after all.