A “transgender” advocacy group called PFLAG sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week in a bid to hide documents after the Office of the Attorney General launched an investigation that will likely demonstrate that entities throughout Texas are committing fraud or are otherwise violating Texas’s recently enacted SB 14. The Attorney General will fight to hold this organization accountable.
SB 14 prohibits drug and surgical “gender transition” interventions for minors. After the law went into effect, the Attorney General’s office became aware that certain medical providers might be committing insurance fraud as part of a scheme to evade the law, such as by prescribing hormones for a pretextual medical diagnosis unrelated to gender transition. In July 2023, shortly after the law’s passage, PFLAG admitted in court that it has consulted with persons about “contingency plans, “alternative avenues to maintain care in Texas,” and so-called “affirming” general practitioners. In other words, PFLAG appeared to admit that it had significant information about persons or practitioners seeking to continue gender transition interventions in violation of SB 14.
PFLAG’s information is highly relevant to the Attorney General’s investigations into whether medical providers are committing insurance fraud in order to circumvent SB 14. Accordingly, the Attorney General sought documents from PFLAG corroborating the “contingency plans,” alternative avenues” and “affirming general practitioners.” PFLAG refused to produce a single document and instead sued the Attorney General in an apparent attempt to conceal information.
“Texas passed SB 14 to protect children from damaging, unproven medical interventions with catastrophic lifelong consequences for their health,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Any organization seeking to violate this law, commit fraud, or weaponize science and medicine against children will be held accountable.”