Re: The Trangendered
Aside from people like Roo's friend with a pre-existing medical condition, I really don't think surgery is the answer.
I think a lot of the time, the desire to be the opposite sex is a mental condition. Most of the people who go in for the swap are usually clinically depressed. They claim they are depressed because they're not the correct gender, but even after having the op, they're still mostly clinically depressed.
There are all sorts of weird and wonderful conditions - including the desire to cut off an arm or a leg. We would treat these people with drugs and psychotherapy to deter the removal of a limb, yet we seem to accept the needs of the transgendered at face value.
Yes, it's a diverse and colourful world full of strange and wacky people with the right to choose, but I'm wondering if this need to be inclusive to all lifestyles is detrimental to the underlying factors.