Regina, some have so much financial problems that it can take 20 years to solve them
even if they are the most frugal person in the world!!
My best friend finished his studies (went into engineering 1.5 year, but didn't finish, then switched to a much less paying technical collarge degree) with 25K in debt and only now, 16 years later is he doing his final payment!!!!!! You should see how he budgets, even if buys a $1 dollar sac a chip in a month (which he doesn't do often), he puts in his book.
He graduated like me, in the worse time to graduate, the early 90's (the economy was in the crapper in the province of Quebec then).
Paying a car with credit, he was so much on the edge for years (barely making enough to pay rent and eat and pay his university debt) that his credit was destroyed and took 8 years to recover. He could only borrow a limited amount of money at a high interest rate (which compounded his problem) the car he needed for work (he worked on the road as a environmental technician).
Finally, he changed career at 33 and took a 15K hit in salary to 22K, just to have the chance of having his university diploma paid by his new employer, took him 7 years getting a BA in business at night, working during the day, while supporting for his wife who has health issues and can't work and his daughter. He's just now making 50K (because he's got the degree) after decades of misery (even food baskets).
So, you tell me, if that guy had gender dysphoria, where on earth could he find the money, and what would happen to him if he found himself unemployable because of being a TS for some time!!!
50K, 20K, whatever K, for whatever transition expenses you need, if your in this bad financial situation for a decade and your need to pass in society to be happy (not all do, such as Elisabeth, but a lot undoubtably do), then you will be in a terrible situation if you don't.
If even worse, you are in an area where you cannot really live a decent life without passing (Even my neighborhood, in liberal Canada, is very far from ideal unless you've got a tough spine) forcing you to move away breaking the little ties you have in the hope of a little community acceptance, then its FUBAR, and I just hope this person will find a shoulder somewhere to lean on!!!
All of this is in Canada, where if you are in real dire straights, you still get some federal financial support and your health care is paid. In the US, I don't even want to imagine the incredible stress of living on the edge like that, its no wonder why the poor are in such poor health.
