Trans Regret

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides a critical assessment of concerns about trans regret (i.e., people who regret transitioning) and arguments against gender confirmation treatment. It shows that the worry that many people regret transitioning is unfounded. Research shows that few people regret transitioning and it is argued that people ought to be allowed to make decisions that they may regret. Furthermore, it is shown that it cannot be known, or even reliably predicted, whether someone might regret transitioning, because the process of transitioning is a transformative experience. How a person will feel about transitioning, and thus whether they might regret it, cannot be known until they have transitioned. Thus, regret should not be a part of medical decision-making about gender confirmation treatment. The chapter concludes by showing how the concepts of authenticity and gender performativity structure the way that trans regret is understood and whether understands it to be problematic.