How some people can say we don't need to do this?

[ChrissyRyan]

They do not understand.

[Mariah]

Precisely. I will also added that another piece comes to mind is they people live x number of years without doing something and assume if people can do that, then can do that for the rest of their life. It's a false assumption, but part of that world view thought. Hugs
Mariah

The answer to this is really very simple. It's not confusing, it's just a case of understanding how people work. When someone talks about what you can or can't do, they're basing it entirely on what they can or can't do. People see everyone around them as mirrors of themselves. And because they cannot understand what would drive someone to reach a point in their lives which would cause them to seek to transition... these people believe it is an impossibility. Who we are... is only ever a projection of what people around us see. At least as far as they are concerned.

Because you don't understand something means it doesn't exist. That's the predominant way of thinking. That and "I don't want it to exist because I'm happy in my own little bubble and I don't want to have to think outside of that."

As long as you understand that how people treat you is not based on you whatsoever, it's based on them, and how they see the world, then what they think ceases to matter in the grand scheme of things. Because there's very little you can do to change that. You just have to see yourself, and live accordingly. Something quite rare, but precious.

[Sephirah]

Honestly, I believe the doubt about our need would have stopped if the mentioned suicides had also stopped after transition. It's a sad fact that not everyone avoids the urge to kill themselves after transition. I wish it were 100% "happily ever after" but we continue to live in the real world and continue to face imperfections in life. Honestly, I have met some sisters who seem to have very unrealistic expectations about things, and I worry about them.

The thing is, for some people it's not even a case of an "ever after". And the issues they have... have only a small part of how they feel about themselves in terms of identity. Although they think at the time, that's literally all it's about.

It's a lot more complicated than that. They go into transition from a place they shouldn't have gone into it. It's a nuance which is lost on most. It doesn't make anyone else more or less legitimate. You just have to understand each person as they are, and not as a statistic. Treat each person as an individual. Understand why they are who they are. That's too much work for most, sadly. And it leads to generalisations.

This is why therapy is important. Why some of the hoops are a good thing. Because the mind is a deeply messy place.

[ChrissyRyan]

They would prefer that being transgender is not something that could exist, it is something in their minds as too unnatural for them to grasp, as the world should be binary, male or female.

Why gay and straight are accepted and not transgender as much seems odd to me.  But maybe because it still fits the binary sex/gender scenario.