That's a complicated question.
RLE for GRS (I mostly support this):
In the vast majority of cases, I think this is a good thing. Most people who want to have GRS have a desire to live as that genital configuration's typically associated gender. Seeing as those two desires are closely entwined, it's best to see if the more easily changeable one, socialization - which doesn't necessarily rely on having the desired genital configuration - is agreeable to that person before undergoing something both expensive and permanent.
However, there are some people who have no desire to transition to a new gender, but want the surgery. I am a strong believer in personal freedom with the body; I don't think GRS is only for people who are afflicted with a gender identity issue. RLE is a gate keeper to these rare, but very real, people.
RLE for HRT (I do not support this):
I think it's valid for a small minority of people on the basis that they have a deeply gross misinterpretation of life as they desire it, but I think it's invalid for most people. Here's a list of my reasons:
-It's an unrealistic representation of potential life for a lot of people. You cannot RLE FFS, GRS, HRT, etc. RLE at a pre-everything stage would only give someone a representation of how the world interacts with them pre-everything, not how the world would interact with them where they intend to be.
-Life could stay essentially the same for some people. Someone might dress unisex. Someone might want to be a girl who dresses like a boy, or a boy who dresses like a girl. The lines for a person's transition are blurry and not as clear cut as HRT RLE would like to have them.
-It could unrealistically scare someone away. Someone who could potentially deal with social life after FFS/HRT could be bullied out of it by going in with a fairly vacant transition toolset. This could lead to a myriad of other issues, such as depression and suicide.
-It can be dangerous. People in more violent areas -- or even just a RLE subject with a very bad turn of luck -- could find themselves the subject of violence, given how much they stand out.
