[Niall]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I understand that but shouldn't it be treated psychologically and not by advocating sex changes which are just mutilating their bodies. I mean it's all well and good saying I should have been born a woman, but they weren't born a woman, shouldn't they try to accept that instead. I mean if someone said, I'm a cat born in a humans body they wouldn't be encouraged to get surgery to try and make them look like one. I don't mean that to sound harsh or dismiss transgenders feelings, I just don't think having a sex change is the answer.

I don't agree at all. I do think that if a person feels they are the wrong gender than a rigorous psychological analysis should be applied to the person, to make sure that their feelings can't be resolved in another way.

I think that if the person feels truly unhappy with their gender, then we shouldn't force them to accept it, when their quality of life could be greatly enhanced with an operation. Forcing them to accept that they'll never be able to become the gender they feel is 'correct', is almost akin to saying to a homosexual that their sexual feelings are just a phase.

Its a genuine problem. And if its not sorted it can just cause a plethora of other much more harmful mental disorders later in life.