I’m not disagreeing with you Lisa. I don’t think it’s a choice young people should be making. You can live as the opposite sex without changing your genitalia until you are old enough to truly understand that decision and prepared to deal with whatever consequences may come of it down the line.The thing with taking out loans and signing up for the military is that those things aren’t permanent. Transitioning is permanent in that you cut off things or cut out things, you aren’t getting that back. That’s a huge decision no matter how old you are and it’s not a guarantee you’ll be happy with the results...or won’t again change your mind that maybe you should have stayed the sex you were.
Life is all about choices and I don’t think people should make that kind of choice no matter if they have the freedom to do it because it’s not a guaranteed happiness if you do.
I used to work with a kid who was around 16 (this was years ago so I’m not sure exactly but she was in high school).. she was sure she was a man and became agoraphobic and suicidal as a result. It was a victory for me when I got her to take a walk outside. It wasn’t an easy life for her and truly she broke my heart. But I don’t think she was mentally capable of making a permanent decision like that or truly understanding the consequences and lifelong ramifications of it either.