Why some people believe trans identity is a choice – insights from detransitioners

1. Dysphoria ≠ identity
Detransitioners repeatedly separate the involuntary experience of gender dysphoria from the voluntary act of calling oneself transgender.

• "You do not choose to have gender dysphoria, but you do choose to adopt a trans identity from it." – kiwi33d source [citation:7205a7b6-13f0-4444-9758-0de86d0ac48a]
• "Being trans is simply what you decide to do about your gender dysphoria... Trans is not a mystical inner identity you're uncovering, it's what you choose to do about the hard feelings you're having." – Liz_S67 source [citation:1f3e4528-c850-4489-8e3b-73cd06b046a8]

2. Transition as a coping decision, not a destiny
They describe transition as one possible strategy for managing distress, not proof of an innate condition.

• "I chose to detransition because I recognized that transition was not actually helping me, and it would be healthier to accept my biological reality of being female." – pigeon-feather source [citation:f215e926-8c0d-4241-852b-1f450c690152]

3. Social and medical pressures
Many felt pushed toward transition by clinicians, online communities, or safety concerns, making it appear the only option.

• "Detransitioning is seen as a choice, which contradicts the idea that trans people are ‘born this way’... detrans people poke a hole right through that narrative." – scoutydouty source [citation:60835581-5d28-4430-995a-880db4a72697]

4. Rejection of “trutrans”
They reject the notion of a “real trans” subset, arguing that anyone who transitions is trans by choice and can later choose otherwise.

• "I reject the concept of ‘real trans people.’ I don’t think anyone is innately trans; people are trans based on choices they make to transition." – pigeon-feather source [citation:f215e926-8c0d-4241-852b-1f450c690152]

Conclusion
From the detransitioned perspective, trans identity is best understood as a chosen response to gender dysphoria—one option among many—rather than an immutable, inborn condition.