We should make transgender people undergo mental health evaluations and wait for years (like adoption) before allowing them to choose gender transitions.

This is a discussion thread from a few years ago that I felt was relevant to bring up in light of the recent spike in transgender suicide rates and transphobia. <br><br>Just to clarify my stance on the issue, I wholeheartedly support and empathize with transgender people.<br><br>I'd like to preface by saying I obviously have no experience being trans, so please correct me if I misrepresent anything. And I apologize if some of my points hurt your feelings.<br><br>There are **a lot** of stories of people transitioning only to regret it later, and you can find these stories all over. I can't imagine how hard and painful it must be to transition and then have to switch back. I'm not saying that everyone will end up regretting the transition, but I see the transition process as being similar to an adoption process.<br><br>The idea is this: <br><br>* All people that are considering transitioning must undergo a mental health evaluation and assessment to help them make an informed decision on the matter. The assessment must consider whether they have a history of anxiety, regret, or compulsive behaviors. <br>* All people that are considering transitioning must wait for a period of like 3 years after their decision before they're allowed to transition. They should remain in contact with their therapist during this period to ensure they're still committed to the decision.<br>* Healthcare providers remain otherwise unfettered in transgender care.<br><br>This idea has been pitched as a compromise to conservatives and liberals. Liberals get to keep transition healthcare virtually unfettered, and conservatives get every transitioner to undergo a psychological evaluation and waiting period to assure they're not acting on impulse (which should help reduce regret trans people). Although this is probably not perfect, I find this idea reasonable.