A group of people getting sex changes is arguably destructive if it's just due to a whim. Look at the suicide rates. In the real world where it's not a choice, I'd look to blame bigots for a lot of those suicide rates. In the world where it is completely a choice, I'd look to blame people who encouraged them along that path as the proximate cause.

That's a pretty gross perspective to write out, and I don't really want to write such things anymore, so I'll likely stop. But there's a perspective, and from what I casually observe, is a genuine concern among some more conservative leaning folks. People are concerned that young people are being pushed into harmful surgeries. To some dumb extent, they have a point if trans feelings are "just a choice". They have no point in reality, because it's not a choice.

> A group of people getting sex changes is arguably destructive if it's just due to a whim. Look at the suicide rates. In the real world where it's not a choice, I'd look to blame bigots for a lot of those suicide rates. In the world where it is completely a choice, I'd look to blame people who encouraged them along that path as the proximate cause.

Yes. In the present world unfortunately I don’t think we have lots of data to say either way, though it’s probably a combination of both. We should be tolerant, and also accept that not wanting to conform to gender stereotypes does not necessarily means that one needs to change sex, though sometimes it does.

> But there's a perspective, and from what I casually observe, is a genuine concern among some more conservative leaning folks. People are concerned that young people are being pushed into harmful surgeries.

I think that’s a very valid concern, considering the irreversibility of it and the potential harm. Being conservative is not in itself a bad thing: you can be conservative, empathetic and tolerant. There is no such excuse for homophobia, though, when there is no harm done to anyone.