Hi everyone, I seem a little late to this party but to add in here, a preference toward masculine or feminine behavior contrary to traditional gender roles does not make you transsexual. A woman who prefers the male gender role but has no desire to change her body or be recognized as anything but a woman is what we, at least in the US lesbian community, would call a butch woman. I as a transsexual woman could be masculine. Likewise I know effeminate transsexual men. Further, part of the problem with studies like the one you mentioned ren is that they focus on SRS which for transsexual men is sadly underwhelming compared to the equivalent surgery for transsexual women. Many trans men express a desire for surgical correction but are unsatisfied with the available surgeries and therefore abstain.
However, to address the argument at its heart. I can tell you from my own personal experience it was by cutting away at all the things about myself I didn't like but could accept anyway until there was nothing left but my dysphoria that eventually led me to transition. It was the one thing that I couldn't accept no matter how hard I tried. Its been 5 years now since I made that decision and I can say unequivocally that my life is better for it. I'm more emotionally stable, I am better able to love and accept myself for who I am and am better able to show love and compassion for others than I ever was before. As much as we are to seek to give comfort before seeking comfort to ourselves there is the counterpoint that if we neglect ourselves we diminish our capacity to comfort others. There's a reason they tell you to take care of your own breathing mask on the plane before the child's. If you pass out the child can't care for you in the same way you could care for them if they were to. As it relates to Jediism transition and surgery are "putting on our breathing masks".
Now as to the question of insurance. Lets remove the details about it being for transsexual people for the moment. We have a medical diagnosis for a condition administered by a physician which is backed up by the prevalent medical texts and organizations of the day. This condition has only one successful treatment course and that treatment course has over a 90% success rate. I as the patient with this diagnosis pay for insurance that covers these same treatments for other conditions even though these other conditions are quite rare. Is it fare for the insurance company to deny me coverage of my condition because of a social stigma surrounding it?
To add to this, while a therapist is recommended for hormone therapy, an endocrinologist has to sign off on it even with informed consent models. For surgery, you have have to have a psychiatrist sign off, not just a psychologist, because a medical professional's opinion is required. Further the surgeon themselves have the right to refuse if they think the psychiatrist's assessment was premature or no longer relevant. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the World Health Organization all agree that these are the best treatments. At what point should the opinion of people without medical training, significant research into gender studies, nor personal transgender experiences override the medical assessment of these trained professionals and respected medical bodies?
