3 ms·

Being trans also isn't a "delusion". A trans person doesn't believe they literally have the same body as the opposite sex, although admittedly the bumper stick

Being trans also isn't a "delusion". A trans person doesn't believe they literally have the same body as the opposite sex, although admittedly the bumper sticker slogans surrounding this issue ("trans women are women") may create confusion. Trans people are acutely aware of their bodies - they just don't find comfort or pleasure in them. Since changing their bodies to the maximum current medical extent can be done safely and effectively, and this often yields good results, this is the standard of treatment. "Trans women are women" doesn't acknowledge that the issue is a delusion, it is more of a rhetorical device that redefines what "woman" even is (similar to how "marriage" was redefined from its historical definition to be inclusive of gay people). Subtly, someone who _did_ believe they had a natal opposite sex body would _not_ be classified as trans, but genuinely affected by a delusional disorder. Perhaps this would be the prime differentiator between the two. Comparing it to "puppy pregnancy delusion" is like comparing apples and oranges and demonstrates that OP may have been confused by political rhetoric surrounding the issue.

zozbot234 5y ago
> Since changing their bodies to the maximum current medical extent can be done safely and effectively, and this often yields good results Basically true for middle-aged adults, but this becomes less and less true as age of intervention decreases. At the lowest extreme in age, there are lots of kids and teenagers who are simply puzzled by the whole notion of gender roles, or the prospective changes of puberty, and will happily tell you that they kinda-sorta don't feel like they belong in their gender, especially if so influenced by unscrupulous trans-activists. One might think it obvious that pursuing transition in these cases is ethically unconscionable given that the vast majority of those kids will be totally fine as cis adults, but this is a surprisingly controversial POV in the 2020s. BTW, it's entirely possible to "not find comfort or pleasure" in an arbitrary part of one's body that has nothing to do with primary/secondary sex characteristics, such as one's nose. This is known as body dysmorphic disorder and/or body integrity identity disorder. It tends to be a lot less politicized than gender-identity linked disorders/dysphorias, and the standards of treatment are correspondingly more inclined to watchful waiting.
- ashleyn 5y ago
  > At the lowest extreme in age, there are lots of kids and teenagers who are simply puzzled by the whole notion of gender roles, or the prospective changes of puberty, and will happily tell you that they kinda-sorta don't feel like they belong in their gender, especially if so influenced by unscrupolous trans-activists. While it is true that other maladies of adolescence can be miscategorised as gender dysphoria, it's also well-understood that gender dysphoria is something that is not absent in children and adolescents. When genuinely dysphoria, this is something that is strongly evidenced to occur absent any external influence. A simple example here is older adults reporting dysphoria extending back to childhood, in eras where the existence of the condition was simply unspeakable. > One might think it obvious that pursuing transition in these cases is ethically unconscionable given that the vast majority of those kids will be totally fine afterwards, but this is a surprisingly controversial POV in the 2010s. Because one must be careful not to be biased against inaction or toward natural design. The consequences for ignoring the issue in children can be as devastating as inappropriately treating the issue. Diagnosis here can admittedly be a serious challenge but thankfully there are options in-between "ignoring it" and "full permanent transition", which is why my personal opinion would lean toward reserving anything permanent for the most serious cases (i.e. ones involving self-harm), and allowing gender-dysphoric children to "socially" transition, which amounts to little more than allowing them to pick out their own easily-reversible name and clothing style.

zozbot234 5y ago

> Since changing their bodies to the maximum current medical extent can be done safely and effectively, and this often yields good results Basically true for middle-aged adults, but this becomes less and less true as age of intervention decreases. At the lowest extreme in age, there are lots of kids and teenagers who are simply puzzled by the whole notion of gender roles, or the prospective changes of puberty, and will happily tell you that they kinda-sorta don't feel like they belong in their gender, especially if so influenced by unscrupulous trans-activists. One might think it obvious that pursuing transition in these cases is ethically unconscionable given that the vast majority of those kids will be totally fine as cis adults, but this is a surprisingly controversial POV in the 2020s. BTW, it's entirely possible to "not find comfort or pleasure" in an arbitrary part of one's body that has nothing to do with primary/secondary sex characteristics, such as one's nose. This is known as body dysmorphic disorder and/or body integrity identity disorder. It tends to be a lot less politicized than gender-identity linked disorders/dysphorias, and the standards of treatment are correspondingly more inclined to watchful waiting.

ashleyn 5y ago
> At the lowest extreme in age, there are lots of kids and teenagers who are simply puzzled by the whole notion of gender roles, or the prospective changes of puberty, and will happily tell you that they kinda-sorta don't feel like they belong in their gender, especially if so influenced by unscrupolous trans-activists. While it is true that other maladies of adolescence can be miscategorised as gender dysphoria, it's also well-understood that gender dysphoria is something that is not absent in children and adolescents. When genuinely dysphoria, this is something that is strongly evidenced to occur absent any external influence. A simple example here is older adults reporting dysphoria extending back to childhood, in eras where the existence of the condition was simply unspeakable. > One might think it obvious that pursuing transition in these cases is ethically unconscionable given that the vast majority of those kids will be totally fine afterwards, but this is a surprisingly controversial POV in the 2010s. Because one must be careful not to be biased against inaction or toward natural design. The consequences for ignoring the issue in children can be as devastating as inappropriately treating the issue. Diagnosis here can admittedly be a serious challenge but thankfully there are options in-between "ignoring it" and "full permanent transition", which is why my personal opinion would lean toward reserving anything permanent for the most serious cases (i.e. ones involving self-harm), and allowing gender-dysphoric children to "socially" transition, which amounts to little more than allowing them to pick out their own easily-reversible name and clothing style.