May Lau, a Dallas-based doctor, has voluntarily surrendered her Texas medical license a year after being sued by Attorney General Ken Paxton for allegedly violating the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

Newsweek has reached out to attorneys who represent Lau for comment via email on Friday.

Why It Matters

In an October 2024 lawsuit against Lau, Paxton argues the doctor is in violation of Texas state codes and laws “by prescribing
testosterone, a controlled substance, to biological female minors for the purposes of transitioning their biological sex or affirming their belief that their gender identity is inconsistent with their biological sex in violation.”

Gender-affirming care is a politically divisive issue. Supporters say it provides essential medical and mental health care for transgender youth, while opponents seek restrictions or bans, arguing minors are too young to make life-altering decisions and that such treatment conflicts with biological sex.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld a Tennessee law that bars gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth.

What To Know

In a Friday press release, Paxton’s office confirmed that Lau has given up her medical license, writing: “The surrendering of her medical license permanently bars Lau from experimenting on children in Texas in the future.”

At the time of the court filing, Lau was an employee of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In January, Lau entered a Rule 11 agreement with Paxton, halting her from practicing.

Her surrender comes a year after the attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit accusing Lau of prescribing cross-sex hormones to at least 21 adolescents in defiance of Senate Bill 14, which prohibits such treatments for individuals under 18. The lawsuit outlines all the medical prescriptions Lau provided to all 21 minors. The attorney general’s office directed the Texas Medical Board to revoke her license.

The law, which Governor Greg Abbott signed in 2023, and was enacted in September that year, has been upheld by the Texas Supreme Court. It bans the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies for gender transition in minors.

Paxton’s office has also arrested and sued several doctors in the state for reportedly performing illegal abortions. Texas has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, banning nearly all abortions except under limited medical exceptions. 

What People Are Saying

Texas Attorney General Paxton said in a Friday press release: “Doctors who permanently hurt kids by giving them experimental drugs are nothing more than disturbed left-wing activists who have no business being in the medical field. May Lau has done untold damage to children, both physically and psychologically, and the surrendering of her Texas medical license is a major victory for our state. My case against her for breaking the law will continue, and we will not relent in holding anyone who tries to ‘transition’ kids accountable.” 

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, in a June statement following the Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti: “The Supreme Court took the place of parents and doctors and stripped away their ability to make private, lifesaving decisions for their children. This ruling is a chilling step toward unchecked government overreach, intruding on the most personal aspects of our private lives. All families are now less safe and left vulnerable to politicians and a Court that has abandoned its duty to protect personal liberties. Every family deserves the freedom to make the medical decisions that help their children live, thrive, and be well.”

Edmund LaCour, solicitor general of Alabama, in a statement following the Court’s decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti: “The Supreme Court today recognized that Tennessee’s law placing age limits on sex-change treatments is not subject to heightened judicial review. The Biden Administration’s contrary position depended on the obvious fallacy that providing testosterone to treat a boy’s endocrine disorder is the ‘same treatment’ as using the drug to disrupt the normal physical development of an adolescent girl suffering from psychological distress. The Supreme Court recognized that these are different medical treatments.”

What Happens Next?

Paxton’s lawsuit against Lau remains ongoing.

Update 10/24/25, 12:45 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.