If the term fits

When I was speaking with Caryn a couple of weeks ago she agreed that the term transsexual needs to remain in our lexicon. She told me she was speaking to a group of transgender people not long ago some of whom bristled at its usage but she stood her ground explaining her reasoning.

We need to be able to describe gender dysphoria that is so tenacious and pervasive that it's treatment is mandatory and more often than not via medical means.

Transsexuals weren't able to do much prior to the early 20th century and they grinned and tolerared a reality that was causing them extreme mental anguish. These cases are being picked out today much earlier despite the fact that not all gender variant kids will ultimately fit that description as they get older. I ended up on a precarious borderline.

For Caryn there was no such choice.