[etchalon]

People were making the "they're committing suicide because their brain is wrong so we need to fix their brain" argument about homosexuality back in the 90s.

Research has pretty firmly come down on the "nah, it's society." side of things.

[daveslash]

If I understood temp_account_32's point correctly, the comment about the mental health was not "they're trans, therefore their brains _must_ be wired wrong", so much as it was "before they transition, they're often so distraught over their identity and who they see in the mirror, that it often causes despair and depression".

I agree with you that research has pretty firmly come down on the side of "nah, it's society" for the former. I think the latter is a fair point. To pin it all on society I find to be disingenuous. Transitioning can be a healthy thing in that case. Disclaimer: am not trans, so I openly admit I may be totally ignorant and off base.

[etchalon]

It's not all society's fault, but research has shown that the distress and depression of being outside societal defaults is greatly lessened when support is available and acceptance wide spread.

[daveslash]

Yes. Completely agree. To suggest that it's all society's fault is disingenuous. To suggest that society is fault-free is reckless and cruel, and society's part is not a small piece of the pie either. Society needs to step up to address the societal aspect of the issue as part of a multi-pronged approach.

[mensetmanusman]

It’s also impossible to decouple mental health from your surroundings, i.e. society etc.