Seattle Children’s Hospital has agreed to stop providing care in Texas after backlash for allegedly helping minors in the Lone Star state receive gender transition medication, The Post has exclusively learned.
The hospital is suspected of providing support for gender transitions to Texas-based patients from its Seattle facility, which writes prescriptions for sex change hormones to their pharmacies in the Lone Star state, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton says this would violate state law, which prohibits drug and surgical sex changes for kids. However, when his office made enquiries they were rebuffed.
“Seattle Children’s Hospital appeared to break Texas law and initially tried to evade accountability when
investigated,” Paxton said in a statement shared with The Post.
Paxton sought records regarding child sex change treatments from the hospital. Seattle Children’s subsequently sued Texas in December arguing the state’s request should either be invalidated or limited, claiming “the Demands represent an unconstitutional attempt to investigate potential interstate commerce and travel for Texas residents to another state.”
Paxton said the inquiry led the hospital to eventually quit doing business in Texas.
“When we merely began asking questions, they decided to leave the State of Texas and forfeit the opportunity to do business here.
“Let this make our position clear: medical providers in Texas must abide by our laws. In Texas, we vigorously protect children from damaging, experimental ‘gender transition’ treatments that can have life-altering negative consequences,” Paxton said.
Seattle Children’s Hospital at the time said a state law prevented them from providing records of medications given to children living in Texas or the number of them who received sex change treatments.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the law in May 2023 to provide shelter for transgender minors seeking “gender-affirming care” if their parents don’t accept them at home.
The hospital said Paxton has now withdrawn his request.
“Protecting the privacy of all Seattle Children’s patients is our top priority. The Texas Attorney General rightfully withdrew their request to access confidential patient information.
“This action ensures the private details of our patients’ health care remains solely between patients and families and their provider team,” a Seattle Children’s spokesperson told The Post.
Roughly 20 states have passed legislation to ban child sex change surgeries, including Ohio, Idaho and Florida.
With Post wires.
