I agree that there are two biological sexes. Yes, just as there are people born with no arms, there are people born with confusing biological sex.
The level of commitment some transgender people have leads me to believe the biological sex they were born with is not their gender. I don't see reason to believe everyone who wants this surgery is the victim of any kind of manipulation. Normal came out in 2003, Renee Richards got her surgery in 1975, and others came decades before. These are not examples of any of today's problems.
And there are problems. Yes, Big Pharma is one.
People who see a boy look at a pair of earrings in a store and begin telling him he is a girl born into the wrong gender are another. I'm not thinking of any specific case. I just mean any kind of pressure being put on children. Even only encouragement.
On the flip side, there are people, even parents, who tease, belittle, berate, bully, beat (oddly mostly b words...), ostracize, and even kill those who do so much as exhibit signs of being transgender.
As in all things when humans are involved, there is evil.
Gender dysphoria is under "Diseases and Conditions" in the Mayo Clinic link Nihilo provided. The first paragraph says:
Interesting that they don't define it with the words like "disease," "condition," or "mental illness." I don't like the word "assigned" in this case, because, when you're born, and your mother asks the doctor if it's a boy or a girl, the doctor doesn't assign you your sex. The doctor looks to see if you have a penis or a vagina.Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.
The second paragraph of the Mayo link is:
I don't know enough about all this to know how one can be transgender without the "discomfort or distress." How are you trans if you're fine the way you were born?Transgender and gender-diverse people might experience gender dysphoria at some point in their lives. However, some transgender and gender-diverse people feel at ease with their bodies, with or without medical intervention.
I find their wording confusing in both paragraphs.
And none of it matters to me. Because, as I've said, whether or not it's a disease/condition/mental illness, and despite the fact that there are only two biological sexes, some people feel that the sex they were born with is wrong. I have not heard that medication or therapy helps them feel otherwise. They will be uncomfortable, and possibly miserable, the way they are. They will definitely be miserable, and possibly suicidal, if they are told they're wrong or disgusting, and are not allowed to live as what they consider to be their true selves. There is nothing to gain by opposing them. There is much to gain by treating them the way they want to be treated, including a relationship with them if that is important to you (such as if they are your child), and possibly their life.
I'm sure there are cases that are not truly transgender. Some might just be confused. Some might be looking for attention. Some might just join in with anything if they think it's popular. In all cases, giving them the time and freedom to figure things out is likely better than making them dig in their heels by opposing them. Everybody knows what happens when you forbid your child to do something. If you don't oppose it, you remove their ability to rebel against you.