The Problem with Trans = Must Go Through Medical & Surgical Transition!
Dr. Z addresses a harmful idea circulating in some transgender communities: that you must go through medical and surgical transition to truly be transgender. This concept is not only inaccurate—it's limiting and potentially harmful to trans-identified individuals.
Being transgender is about your core sense of identity, not whether you've modified your body. Many people don't seek medical or surgical interventions—some have a spiritual connection to their gender, some are comfortable with their bodies, and that's incredibly valid. Yet this "you're not trans unless" messaging perpetuates anxiety, especially for those who can't access care due to location, resources, or medical conditions.
When you hear you "must" have surgery to be accepted in the transgender community, it breeds tremendous anxiety, rumination, and despair. You feel like you're missing out, like you can't belong unless you go through procedures that may be years away or completely inaccessible. This is reductionistic of the complexity of gender identity.
Dr. Z strongly supports gender-affirming care for people who need it, but rejects the black-and-white mindset that being trans equals medicalization. Your sense of identity is internal—external modifications help some people but aren't mandatory for everyone.
Watch to find out why this "cookie-cutter" approach has never been true and how it affects young adults, especially.
