Choosing who you are

[Jello]

Sex is not changeable, it is gender that is changeable, or as my sociology teacher likes to put it "Sex is what parts you're born with, gender's what's in your head". It's pretty simple logic from there. That's why i do believe trans people are encouraged to put the sex they're born as on medical forms, rather than the gender they choose to be. 

For most people, including transsexuals, gender identity is not changeable. It would be easier to change their gender otherwise than to change sex. Only in genderfluid people is it actually changeable. Hence the reason there is a special label for it. What happens is that it can take a long while for transsexuals to realise who they really are. Partly due to denial, but also because it can be really difficult to diagnose what the problem is.

And no, trans people should not have to put their assigned sex on medical forms. That's just traumatising for the sake of it. Also not helpful because if they change sex then they are get to suffer from the same medical problems as their chosen sex while being less susceptible from other problems typical of their assigned sex.So they are also more likely to get the wrong treatment. And it opens them up to prejudice. Putting their assigned sex on medical forms will in most cases only harm them physically, mentally and emotionally.

That's not to say that their medical history should not record the fact that they changed sex, because doing so in itself has its own medical problems.

Hope that clears some things up for you.

Sorry to have to say this but you are completely mistaken about the nature of transsexuality. Don't feel bad about it though. Most people are.

Gender identity is as core part of you as say growing up knowing one day that you want to be a mother. But for most people this is not apparent because their gender identity matches their physical sex.

Identifying as another gender doesn't rid you of the natural pre-dispositions to certain illnesses that each sex has. That's why it is encouraged to put what sex you are born as on medical forms, so your doctor doesn't rule out serious diseases because as far as they know, you shouldn't be susceptible to them. It's not out of hostile intent, it's with the best intent in mind. 

I say that the gender identity is changeable in the sense of "it can be not what you are born as", which i know doesn't quite come through in the actual wording, but i couldn't really think how to put it at the time. 

Also, i haven't been "completely mistaken" as i am close friends with a trans-person, which i know is a subjective point, but i'd think they would have explained it otherwise to me if they hadn't agreed with the points they'd made, but do go on.

Furthermore, please don't do that "don't feel bad about it though" stuff with me, i find it extremely patronizing, and it really doesn't help further your point.