Imagine a teenager with gender dysphoria, who actually does get to choose freely:
puberty blockers, including their side effects, in order to make the rest of the transition later on (with or without surgery) easier
or
no puberty blockers, avoiding the side effects and making a potential retransition later in life easier, but at the cost of making them miserable throughout puberty and making future stages of the transition more difficult
And sure, the second option is 'doing nothing', but doing nothing is also a choice, which has upsides and downsides too.
So let me see if I understand this correctly.
- Puberty causes permanent changes to the body.
- Some people do not feel comfortable going through these permanent changes, for whatever reason
- We should do what we can to alleviate the suffering they feel to the extent that we can.
So, - We should artificially limit puberty.
Is that correct? Because if so, I need you to explain to me what's different about this;
- Teething causes permanent changes to the body.
- Some people do not feel comfortable going through this very painful period.
- We should do what we can to alleviate the suffering they feel to the extent that we can.
So, - We should artificially limit teething.
Or this;
- Growing causes permanent changes to the body.
- Some people do not feel comfortable going through these painful changes.
- We should do what we can to alleviate the sufering they feel to the extent that we can.
So, - We should remove their pituitary gland
And this one is a bit of a stretch/parody, but it is the same logic.
- Death causes permanent changes to the body.
- Some people do not feel comfortable going through these changes.
- We should do what we can to alleviate the suffering they feel to the extent that we can.
So, - Kill everybody so nobody has to die anymore.
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Out of curiosity, do you think teenagers...
We'll go with your cancer statement. If the patient decides not to try the chemo, that is their decision. If they decide to do the chemo, that is their decision. They should make it with their parents and their doctors. And I see the point you're trying to make, but we must go back to something else you said.
Imagine a teenager with gender dysphoria,
I've spent the last several years being told "THEY HAVE THE WRONG BRAIN IN THE WRONG BODY!" or "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE!" or "IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THEIR SUFFERING DON'T MAKE FUN OF THEM!"
But now I have to imagine being one? Either it's something I cannot understand, and it's a real thing, much like I'll never understand how it feels to carry a child in a womb, or it's something I can "imagine", and they aren't "bOrN tHaT wAy!1!"
If it's the former, then I just don't get it, and these people are suffering something I can't comprehend, and shouldn't be called a bigot for not understanding. If it's the latter, then isn't that sort of blowing up the argument that's been made for the last several years?
So basically, I reject your comparison with cancer. A life-stealing disease, slowly devouring your body is not really comparable to mental anguish, no matter how deep. That's like comparing cancer to a vet's suicide. Both tragic, but it's apples and oranges.