Fina stops transgender swimmers from competing in women's elite events

[bots]

Fina, swimming's world governing body, has voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's elite races if they have gone through any part of the process of male puberty.

The new policy requires transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women's competitions.

Fina will also aim to establish an 'open' category at competitions for swimmers whose gender identity is different than their birth sex.

The policy was passed with 71% of the vote from 152 Fina members.

The decision was made during an extraordinary general congress at the ongoing World Championships in Budapest.

Earlier Fina members heard a report from a transgender task force made up of leading figures from the world of medicine, law and sport.

Fina's decision follows a move on Thursday by the UCI, cycling's governing body, to double the period of time before a rider transitioning from male to female can compete in women's races.

The issue in swimming has been catapulted into the spotlight by the experiences of American Lia Thomas.

In March, Thomas became the first known transgender swimmer to win the highest US national college title with victory in the women's 500-yard freestyle.

Thomas swam for the Pennsylvanian men's team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in spring 2019.

She has since broken records for her university swimming team.

more at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/61853450

[Niamh.]

Good news for women's sport

[rusticgal]

Good news for women's sport




I totally agree...

[Liam-]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans people

[Alf]

Better news but not totally good news. It's also promoting under 12s (children) to transition their bodies in a way.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Better news but not totally good news. It's also promoting under 12s (children) to transition their bodies in a way.

what sad is cheats who think they can get away with cheationg

great day for sport

[bots]

the 12 year old limit means that the child won't develop the same strength if it happens before that age. The reality probably is that no child would be allowed to transition at such a young age

[Cherie]

Good news, unfortunately in life you can’t have it all, it’s sad that a small minority are born into the wrong bodes but just like an able bodied person who suffers an injury and can no longer participate in able bodies sport you have to deal with the hand you are dealt

[Alf]

You should check out the Documentary "What is a Woman?" if you've not seen it. It's a good watch.

Here's the trailer


42ivIRd9N8E

[Crimson Dynamo]

Good news, unfortunately in life you can’t have it all, it’s sad that a small minority are born into the wrong bodes but just like an able bodied person who suffers an injury and can no longer participate in able bodies sport you have to deal with the hand you are dealt

"it’s sad that a small minority are born into the wrong bodies"

I dont think that is scientifically correct (ie its just a saying)

"No one knows exactly what causes gender dysphoria. Some experts believe that hormones in the womb, genes, and cultural and environmental factors may be involved."

Everyone is born into their correct body but mentally there is in imbalance that makes them think they are not in terms of biological sex and gender identity.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001527.htm#:~:text=Gender%20dysphoria%20is%20the%2 0term,inner%20sense%20of%20being%20male.

[Cherie]

"it’s sad that a small minority are born into the wrong bodies"

I dont think that is scientifically correct (ie its just a saying)

"No one knows exactly what causes gender dysphoria. Some experts believe that hormones in the womb, genes, and cultural and environmental factors may be involved."

Everyone is born into their correct body but mentally there is in imbalance that makes them think they are not in terms of biological sex and gender identity.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001527.htm#:~:text=Gender%20dysphoria%20is%20the%2 0term,inner%20sense%20of%20being%20male.

Yes I guess I should have put it differently

[UserSince2005]

It’s a disgrace.

[rusticgal]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans people


It’s a great day for sports women….to spend much of your life training plus untold expense and commitment only to find yourself competing against a woman with the natural strength of a man….you seriously think that’s FAIR…:shrug:

Get a grip….trans people will have their own competition to make it fair. If you were a trans person would you not prefer to win on a level playing ground than have an unfair advantage?

[Oliver_W]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans people
You don't have to be a transphobe to think that women's sports should be only for women. And it's not like transwomen are being excluded - they can compete in the open category, or against other males.

The new policy requires transgender competitors to have completed their transition by the age of 12 in order to be able to compete in women's competitions.

Gross. No-one under the age of 18 should be "transitioning" in any physical way at all.
While as a whole this ruling is good for women's sports, that caveat legitimises the idea of children transitioning.

[Niamh.]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans peopleYeah, **** those transphobes wanting fair competition for women eh? Men's feelings are far more important

[Liam-]

Yeah, **** those transphobes

Correct

[Crimson Dynamo]

Correct

If your only argument is to just insult any differing view then may i respectfully say you have no argument

hopefully, you will prove me wrong..

[Zizu]

I don’t understand why trans men to women are allowed to compete in women’s sports whilst trans women to men ALSO compete in women’s events ?!?


I don’t get it .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Oliver_W]

I don’t understand why trans men to women are allowed to compete in women’s sports whilst trans women to men ALSO compete in women’s events ?!?


I don’t get it .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I don't get it either - other women taking drugs which enhance their performance would get penalised, so what makes transmen any different?

[user104658]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans people

I mean to be fair to you Liam, at least you bothered to take the time to put your reasoning and a solid, cohesive argument behind this opinion, which is more than can be said for most of the idiots blindly parroting illogical dogmatic nonsense because it's in the script as being "progressive".

[Crimson Dynamo]

ouch

[Crimson Dynamo]

Sharron Davies tells of her 'pride' in swimming that men are banned from womens events

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10932093/Swimming-set-sport-create-category-allow-transgender-athletes-compete.html

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/19/18/59264971-10932093-Former_Olympic_swimmer_Sharron_Davies_has_spoken_o f_her_pride_fo-m-11_1655660586631.jpg

[Niamh.]

CorrectI mean they're recommending an open category so transgender people will still be able to compete so I'm not sure what your issue is with this particular decision anyway? Its fair to everyone

[user104658]

The thing is with this, there are obviously vast and huge discussions needed around trans issues and opinions from all angles on all sorts of aspects…

…but with this, specifically, there just is no reasonable argument that it’s in any way right or fair for someone who has been through puberty as a male to be then competing in sports against females. Just none. It’s a distinct and now frequently-proven advantage and any argument to the contrary comes from a disingenuous and largely political stance.

[Beso]

Its 100 percent right, but zero percent fair TS.

[ThomasC]

And the transphobes get what they want, a sad day for trans people

Nope I don't think so. They are likely to be stronger so there is an unfair advantage. Sport is a competition so it's only fair. I don't see how you can argue against that.

Better news but not totally good news. It's also promoting under 12s (children) to transition their bodies in a way.

No it's not.

[user104658]

I can see what Alf is saying to be fair; it states that they can't compete "if they've been through any part of male puberty" ... which could (in theory) lead to more people pushing for the use of puberty blockers and other hormonal therapies etc. before the onset of puberty.

There is a LOT of push-back from trans rights activists on this one but the emerging medical and scientific data on this one is becoming increasingly clear: Puberty blockers and hormonal treatments on pre-adolescents can have drastic and permanent consequences. The ethics and informed consent issues surrounding puberty blockers are absolutely massive.

So it's a bit of a catch 22 on that one really.

No female sports for trans women who have been through male puberty, but no delay of puberty is currently possible without the risk of severe and life-altering side effects (ranging from stunted or abnormal growth to infertility, or even cancer).

Then you have the additional worry of people sourcing hormone treatments illegitimately when they're not approved by doctors... that, unfortunately, is not uncommon already. This could prompt more to do it.

[Zizu]

I can see what Alf is saying to be fair; it states that they can't compete "if they've been through any part of male puberty" ... which could (in theory) lead to more people pushing for the use of puberty blockers and other hormonal therapies etc. before the onset of puberty.

There is a LOT of push-back from trans rights activists on this one but the emerging medical and scientific data on this one is becoming increasingly clear: Puberty blockers and hormonal treatments on pre-adolescents can have drastic and permanent consequences. The ethics and informed consent issues surrounding puberty blockers are absolutely massive.

So it's a bit of a catch 22 on that one really.

No female sports for trans women who have been through male puberty, but no delay of puberty is currently possible without the risk of severe and life-altering side effects (ranging from stunted or abnormal growth to infertility, or even cancer).

Then you have the additional worry of people sourcing hormone treatments illegitimately when they're not approved by doctors... that, unfortunately, is not uncommon already. This could prompt more to do it.


I heard a doctor on tv explaining that many of the effects of taking hormones are reversible APART from the changes to the BRAIN !!!


That’s so scary if confused young people/teenagers are going down this route


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Crimson Dynamo]

The problem is too many kids not understanding mental health issues and conflating them to reality

[user104658]

The problem is too many kids not understanding mental health issues and conflating them to reality


I personally don’t think the kids are the problem; there’s actually very few issues with kids and adolescents exploring gender issues etc. and much as with most things with young people … if you just leave them to it, they tend to figure it out on their own.

The problem comes when adults start sticking their oar in about what it all “means” (invariably applying far TOO MUCH meaning; it’s just kids figuring themselves and their role in the world out).

Gender dysphoria is a very real thing and for a small number, gender transition ends up being the best way for them to have the best mental health outcome. There’s absolutely no issue with that and it’s why I have great sympathy for genuine trans people who have been caught up in the mess of “new gender ideology” which is unscientific, dogmatic, can be damaging to both the physical and mental health of adolescents (especially girls, contrary to the popular narrative) and also comes wrapped up in this bubble of anti-intellectualism/aggression that states that no one SHOULD try to study the issue or develop any sort of psychological framework, or even carry out sociological studies into the wider knock on effects. It’s deemed offensive and results in people being threatened and harassed. It’s a total mess. Things like safeguarding guidelines are in complete disarray with it. Carefully worded documents and policies that have worked for decades are now useless because the language in them has been rendered meaningless. And all over the place official policies are being adopted based on ZERO evidence base. From an academic standpoint it’s unprecedented and really quite shocking.

As a final thought, NO ONE is going to get what they want until they let the grown ups do the actual work to figure out the best way to preserve everyone’s rights and dignity.

But that’s the world we’re in now. It’s controversial or “TERFy” to say “we need a solid evidence base for anything we start writing into official policy”. I can’t think of a much more reasonable statement… but it’s frequently branded “hateful” by people who have figured out that doing that is the quickest way to push an agenda.

[ThomasC]

I can see what Alf is saying to be fair; it states that they can't compete "if they've been through any part of male puberty" ... which could (in theory) lead to more people pushing for the use of puberty blockers and other hormonal therapies etc. before the onset of puberty.

There is a LOT of push-back from trans rights activists on this one but the emerging medical and scientific data on this one is becoming increasingly clear: Puberty blockers and hormonal treatments on pre-adolescents can have drastic and permanent consequences. The ethics and informed consent issues surrounding puberty blockers are absolutely massive.

So it's a bit of a catch 22 on that one really.

No female sports for trans women who have been through male puberty, but no delay of puberty is currently possible without the risk of severe and life-altering side effects (ranging from stunted or abnormal growth to infertility, or even cancer).

Then you have the additional worry of people sourcing hormone treatments illegitimately when they're not approved by doctors... that, unfortunately, is not uncommon already. This could prompt more to do it.

That's not Fina's fault though. To say they're promoting it because they want equality I do not think is true. There's a good reason they have used age 12..... responsibility lies elsewhere... Like you say in 'theory' not practicality. ...what fina are promoting is equality through fair competition, offering an alternative and using an appropriate age range in which to enforce that equality.

[Nicky91]

but what about those who are born as women but don't look very feminine (in terms of more muscle strengths than most other sportswomen)

[Niamh.]

but what about those who are born as women but don't look very feminine (in terms of more muscle strengths than most other sportswomen)They're still women Nicky.

[user104658]

That's not Fina's fault though. To say they're promoting it because they want equality I do not think is true. There's a good reason they have used age 12..... responsibility lies elsewhere... Like you say in 'theory' not practicality. ...what fina are promoting is equality through fair competition, offering an alternative and using an appropriate age range in which to enforce that equality.

Well no I agree, Fina's responsibility is only to the sport they represent and that should be their focus, the issue of puberty blockers/hormones is one for the healthcare regulators and I suppose law enforcement (also customs I guess?) in cases where people are getting hold of hormone treatments illegitimately in the UK or importing. THough the bare facts about side effects and long-term consequences of puberty blockers needs to be pushed more widely, the idea that the process is 100% reversible and not harmful to children is quite widely believed. I suppose wishful thinking, to an extent.

[user104658]

but what about those who are born as women but don't look very feminine (in terms of more muscle strengths than most other sportswomen)

Well yes... those are the women who are likely to excell and be at the top of women's sports. The whole point (and problem) is that even those women can't compete against male-bodied people.

Could they absolutely thrash the average bloke on the street? Yes. But against an averagely-skilled male bodied person who has put in practice and training ... no. They'd need to train 3x as hard to do half as well. That's the simple biological reality.

[Niamh.]

Well yes... those are the women who are likely to excell and be at the top of women's sports. The whole point (and problem) is that even those women can't compete against male-bodied people.



Could they absolutely thrash the average bloke on the street? Yes. But against an averagely-skilled male bodied person who has put in practice and training ... no. They'd need to train 3x as hard to do half as well. That's the simple biological reality.To put it in perspective, my brother is 41 years old, he took up running around 2 years ago, just completed his first marathon a couple of weeks ago. He told me going by his times in races he's done if he ran against the female competitors he'd be consistently a top 3 finisher. His time in the marathon placed him 296th against the men

[user104658]

To put it in perspective, my brother is 41 years old, he took up running around 2 years ago, just completed his first marathon a couple of weeks ago. He told me going by his times in races he's done if he ran against the female competitors he'd be consistently a top 3 finisher. His time in the marathon placed him 296th against the men

I think it's seen as somehow offensive to women to point out that there's actually quite a vast difference between the TRAINED male and female body, after even a small amount of training. People point out that female athletes are clearly stronger/faster/more skilled than the average male-bodied trans woman ... well, yes ... but they're not competing against the average trans woman, they're competing against trans women who are athletes in training. It's a completely moot point to say that all of the women on an olympic swim team could easily outswim 99% of men. The point is that they can't compete against male-bodied swimmers, not that they couldn't compete against the average male.

[user104658]

Which part of it do you have a problem with? Most people are against transwomen competing against women.

To be fair, it'd be a bit less inflammatory to say "the voice of the majority", rather than "normal people". I would like to think that it's the people involved in the sport who have been listened to though. I don't put much stock in "the voice of the masses" but I would certainly listen to competitive women swimmers if they were saying that it's damaging to the sport - which many have been in recent months, much as there are those who like to brush that under the carpet.

[user104658]

If anything is to follow I really hope it's combat sports... ... ... because in swimming and weight lifting etc. women stand to lose medals etc, but in combat sports they're getting their skulls cracked open. There's unfair and then there's flat-out criminally negligent and dangerous.

[Mystic Mock]

but what about those who are born as women but don't look very feminine (in terms of more muscle strengths than most other sportswomen)

That just means that they're physically stronger Nicky through hard work.

Tbh this discussion is an iffy one for me as I do get along with a trans member on this very Forum, but in all honesty transwomen are biologically at an advantage against cis women, so the verdict in this case unfortunately is the correct one imo.

Like TS I mean athletically trained, not the average person, because of course a born woman who's a professional Boxer would knock me out.:laugh:

[Oliver_W]

Gender dysphoria is a very real thing and for a small number, gender transition ends up being the best way for them to have the best mental health outcome.

There really should be a better way forward tbh. I swear that transgenderism is the only mental disorder which gets actively enabled - people with severe eating disorders aren't given ometics; people with delusions which constantly endanger themselves or others aren't encouraged to live out their fantasies.

Suicide rates before and after "transitioning" are hardly any different, which makes me wonder if a "transition" really is the best way forward.

[ThomasC]

There really should be a better way forward tbh. I swear that transgenderism is the only mental disorder which gets actively enabled - people with severe eating disorders aren't given ometics; people with delusions which constantly endanger themselves or others aren't encouraged to live out their fantasies.

Suicide rates before and after "transitioning" are hardly any different, which makes me wonder if a "transition" really is the best way forward.

That's because it's not a mental disorder.

[ThomasC]

Also re suicide rates;

Bailey, L., Ellis, S., & McNeil, J. (2014). Suicide risk in the UK trans population and the role of gender transitioning in decreasing suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Mental Health Review Journal, 19(4), 209-220.

A survey of trans people in the UK found that a completed medical transition was shown to greatly reduce rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, in contrast to those at other stages of transition (imminently transitioning or beginning transition). 67% of transitioning people thought more about suicide before transitioning whereas only 3% thought about suicide more after their transition (Bailey et al., 2014).

[Oliver_W]

That's because it's not a mental disorder.

Yes, it is. It's a form of body dysmorphia. An anorexic will think they're fat despite evidence to the contrary, a transwoman is a male whose brain is telling him he's a woman.

[Oliver_W]

Also re suicide rates;

Bailey, L., Ellis, S., & McNeil, J. (2014). Suicide risk in the UK trans population and the role of gender transitioning in decreasing suicidal ideation and suicide attempt. Mental Health Review Journal, 19(4), 209-220.

A survey of trans people in the UK found that a completed medical transition was shown to greatly reduce rates of suicidal ideation and attempts, in contrast to those at other stages of transition (imminently transitioning or beginning transition). 67% of transitioning people thought more about suicide before transitioning whereas only 3% thought about suicide more after their transition (Bailey et al., 2014).
A more recent source, from 2018:

[The Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility], which conducts reviews of health care treatments for the [National Health Service], concludes that none of the studies provides conclusive evidence that gender reassignment is beneficial for patients. It found that most research was poorly designed, which skewed the results in favor of physically changing sex. There was no evaluation of whether other treatments, such as long-term counseling, might help transsexuals, or whether their gender confusion might lessen over time.

Hyde concluded: “The bottom line is that although it’s clear that some people do well with gender reassignment surgery, the available research does little to reassure about how many patients do badly and, if so, how badly.”

The facility conducted its review back in 2004, so perhaps things have changed in the past decade?

Not so. In 2014, a new review of the scientific literature was done by Hayes, Inc., a research and consulting firm that evaluates the safety and health outcomes of medical technologies. Hayes found that the evidence on long-term results of sex reassignment was too sparse to support meaningful conclusions and gave these studies its lowest rating for quality:
Statistically significant improvements have not been consistently demonstrated by multiple studies for most outcomes. … Evidence regarding quality of life and function in male-to-female adults was very sparse. Evidence for less comprehensive measures of well-being in adult recipients of cross-sex hormone therapy was directly applicable to [gender dysphoric] patients but was sparse and/or conflicting. The study designs do not permit conclusions of causality and studies generally had weaknesses associated with study execution as well. There are potentially long-term safety risks associated with hormone therapy but none have been proven or conclusively ruled out.

https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence

[ThomasC]

Yes, it is. It's a form of body dysmorphia. An anorexic will think they're fat despite evidence to the contrary, a transwoman is a make whose brain is telling him he's a woman?

No it's not. Body dysmorphia is though and as such is listed on the DSM. 'Transgender' is not. It did use to be though, but was controversial and stigmatised

[ThomasC]

A more recent source, from 2018:

[The Aggressive Research Intelligence Facility], which conducts reviews of health care treatments for the [National Health Service], concludes that none of the studies provides conclusive evidence that gender reassignment is beneficial for patients. It found that most research was poorly designed, which skewed the results in favor of physically changing sex. There was no evaluation of whether other treatments, such as long-term counseling, might help transsexuals, or whether their gender confusion might lessen over time.

Hyde concluded: “The bottom line is that although it’s clear that some people do well with gender reassignment surgery, the available research does little to reassure about how many patients do badly and, if so, how badly.”

The facility conducted its review back in 2004, so perhaps things have changed in the past decade?

Not so. In 2014, a new review of the scientific literature was done by Hayes, Inc., a research and consulting firm that evaluates the safety and health outcomes of medical technologies. Hayes found that the evidence on long-term results of sex reassignment was too sparse to support meaningful conclusions and gave these studies its lowest rating for quality:
Statistically significant improvements have not been consistently demonstrated by multiple studies for most outcomes. … Evidence regarding quality of life and function in male-to-female adults was very sparse. Evidence for less comprehensive measures of well-being in adult recipients of cross-sex hormone therapy was directly applicable to [gender dysphoric] patients but was sparse and/or conflicting. The study designs do not permit conclusions of causality and studies generally had weaknesses associated with study execution as well. There are potentially long-term safety risks associated with hormone therapy but none have been proven or conclusively ruled out.

https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence

The overarchivong theme running through that is that the studies done are just not conclusive.

We're specifically talking about suicide rates before and after transition. More so it's about how beneficial the change is which will come down to the individual

[Oliver_W]

No it's not. Body dysmorphia is though and as such is listed on the DSM. 'Transgender' is not. It did use to be though, but was controversial and stigmatised

It should be re-listed, especially if it's medicated by public money. As you say, it was only taken off due to controversy.

[user104658]

There are lot of ongoing studies that indicate that, unfortunately, the reduction of suicidal ideation after transition is often temporary and this is why it's essential that the background work is done to identify any root trauma that might be present before carrying out irreversible medical procedures. Doing anything other than that is entirely unethical. The idea and excitement of "a new life" can mitigate suicidal ideation for a while - several years, even - but once it settles into being "the new normal" many people find that underneath that, the underlying causes of their mental health issues are still present.

You can see that in other comparative examples; e.g. someone being suicidal in a long term relationship, breaking up, getting together with a new partner and feeling on top of the world for a time - "it must have been the bad relationship making me suicidal!" - that person might think ... but then once that new relationship settles back into day-to-day routine, turns out, not so much and the darkness creeps back in.

It's also difficult to look very far back for studies on this; the situation was completely different in 2004, the pathways to transition etc., the numbers transitioning... generally the people transitioning had been "living as" for many years and would have an extensive history with their health professionals exploring the possibility of transition. In recent years there's been a push for "automatic affirmation" that means transitioning younger, faster, and without the appropriate mental health groundwork in place... and it's resulted in some truly terrible outcomes for some young people (both physically and mentally).

I think in another decade or so, when the larger numbers of late teens/early-20's transitioning now start to hit their 30's and 40's and lawsuits start rolling in, we will see a shift back to providers insisting on robust mental health screening before offering surgical or hormonal transition options. As, obviously, should be the case.

[ThomasC]

It should be re-listed, especially if it's medicated by public money. As you say, it was only taken off due to controversy.

I disagree. I'm glad the DSM has evolved so much as some of it has been truly shocking over the years, but that's ignorance and medical practice and knowledge has moved on.

Transgender is a word, it shouldn't be categorised as a mental disorder. It's just wrong imo and obvious why it's a stigma.... On the other hand, body dysmorphia actually is an impairment in mental cognition... It's a byproduct or result of being transgender... It's not to say everyone who is transgender is going to have body dysmorphia..... Body dysmorphia is also not restricted to people who are transgender.....it's an issue with how you view yourself and repetitive dislike, over analyzisation of a set feature or who you are.... This could be that you have a scar on your nose that no one else really noticed, but to the individual is huge, it could be your hair colour or how you walk. Your image of yourself is distorted to what the true reality actually is.

Edit; or rather gender dysphoria is caused by being transgender.

[Oliver_W]

Edit; or rather gender dysphoria is caused by being transgender.

Other way round - gender dysphoria is the mental illness, being transgender is the state of having gender dysphoria.

[ThomasC]

Other way round - gender dysphoria is the mental illness, being transgender is the state of having gender dysphoria.

No what I meant to say was that not everyone who is transgender will have body dysmorphia, but rather may have gender dysphoria.

I don't know if I would say everyone who is transgender has gender dysphoria either.

[Oliver_W]

I don't know if I would say everyone who is transgender has gender dysphoria either.

Then why would they want to "transition" ? Like apart from cases where it's a trauma response, with the correlation between between being trans-identified and having been victims of CSE.

[user104658]

Then why would they want to "transition" ? Like apart from cases where it's a trauma response, with the correlation between between being trans-identified and having been victims of CSE.


When it’s a trauma response it would be “classic” gender dysphoria though.

There’s a fairly strong argument that gender dysphoria (when it’s to the extent of wanting to physically transition) is actually a type of body dysmorphia, or at least that the two are interconnected.

To put it bluntly… it’s unrealistic that there would be any real drive to physically transition if there wasn’t an element of dysmorphia. It’s extremely expensive (if it can’t be accessed through universal healthcare) and also - despite the constantly peddled myths that it’s totally safe and always turns out perfectly - it in fact often results in significant physical trauma. You’re not “supposed to” say that though. Which in all honesty is nothing short of criminal.

[arista]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/9755/production/_125714783_thei-nc.png

[Oliver_W]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/9755/production/_125714783_thei-nc.png

Why? "Transitioning" doesn't really do anything in real terms, there should be other options for those with body dysmorphia.