The thing is, this care helps kids with gender dysphoria to get through their teenage years and make it to adulthood. It can't simply be postponed until later without serious impact on the well being of the kid. We are talking about things like puberty blockers here, not surgeries:

Major medical associations agree that gender-affirming care is clinically appropriate for children and adults with gender dysphoria, which, according to the American Psychiatric Association, is psychological distress that may result when a person’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth do not align.

Though the care is highly individualized, some children may decide to use reversible puberty suppression therapy. This part of the process may also include hormone therapy that can lead to gender-affirming physical change. Surgical interventions, however, are not typically done on children and many health care providers do not offer them to minors. (CNN)

Gender dysphoria is by all accounts a deeply troubling experience during teenage years, particularly if your body is growing in a direction that makes you ever more uncomfortable. Puberty blockers can help:

For transgender and gender-diverse youth who have gender dysphoria, delaying puberty might:

• Improve mental well-being.
• Ease depression and anxiety.
• Improve social interactions with others.
• Lower the need for future surgeries.
• Ease thoughts or actions of self-harm. (Mayo Clinic)

You can't do this once you're already an adult, and there are physical changes you might be deeply uncomfortable with that can be locked in by puberty and will now require more radical interventions as an adult. I know trans adults who really struggle with the feeling that they should have started medical treatments sooner, before puberty brought changes to their bodies.

These treatments aren't prescribed lightly either, contrary to what some right-wing voices would have you imagine. From the same Mayo Clinic page:

In most cases, to begin using puberty blockers, an individual needs to:

• Show a lasting pattern of gender nonconformity or gender dysphoria.
• Have gender dysphoria that began or worsened at the start of puberty.
• Address any psychological, medical or social problems that could interfere with the treatment.
• Be able to understand the treatment and agree to have it. This is called informed consent.

Puberty blockers are not recommended for children who have not started puberty.

There are tons of things we don't let minors do.

Treating trans kids with hormones to stave off puberty is not permanent. It is a temporary hold on physical adolescence to give the child a chance to mature mentally and emotionally so they can make a decision later on.

In reality it's no different than someone dying their hair a different color. If they like it, they keep on dying it ... but they can also choose to stop at any time and let their hair go back to their natural color.

There are fundamental differences between allowing minors to access health care that they require in a timely manner and letting a 19 year old rent a car.

Healthcare should be a right afforded to all people. Privileges are not rights and it is perfectly reasonable to restrict them based on age.

I don't hate you for your opinion, but I do think you are misinformed on the subject.

Gender affirming care include puberty blockers.

The context that you're missing here is that puberty, especially the testosterone-fueled one, is consequential whereas delaying puberty is not. Also, your working concept of "what percentage of people are going to sign up for hormone replacement or gender-affirming surgery and then regret it later" is just not in line with reality. Regret does happen, of course, but it is rare.

Lets be clear here. This is not a "health care ban for minors". If you are under 18 and you are looking for gender related care - which can include psychological support you require the consent of all involved parents and guardians and a licenced medical professional.

The average team who all have to agree for a young trans person's gender health to go forward and continue forward is as follows.

• Guardians : need to be supportive, willing and be capable to demonstrate informed consent.

• Pediatric Doctor : Serves as the baseline General practitioner since a young person's body development has specific differences from an adult.

• Psychiatric Doctor : To repeatedly assess whether the young person is a good candidate and adhering to diagnostic frameworks of similar cases to lessen risks should there appear to be any oddities or reticence in continuing.

• Social Case Worker : Investigates the child's relationship between parents and guardians to make sure coercion is not at play.

• Endocrinologist : In the event of pursuing hormones or blockers this specialist observes the process and paitents must routinely go in to make sure no adverse effects are occurring.

Any of these parties may revoke their endorsement for treatment if something appears to not be going to plan. It is this panel OF ADULTS who consult and operate with informed medical consent that these laws are stripping the choices to pursue recognized treatment plans from. Not minors who are by default powerless if these adults do not align with their wishes.

"There are tons of things we don't let minors do"

Stop fucking lying and finish the sentence.

"Without parental permission "

Stop pretending like this is about minors deciding for themselves without any parental input or guidance.

You are being dishonest.

https://www.them.us/story/gender-affirming-surgery-vast-majority-cis-kids-study

the consequences like rental cars costing three times as much because 19-year-olds are fucking stupid

This is a slippery slope fallacy. People are arguing in favor of a careful, suitable, medical treatment, not in favor of utter relentlessness. Unless gender is that important to your worldview, that society is at risk of immediate collapse because of gender affirming care??

People over 25 can do whatever the fuck they want. It varies for 18, 21 etc

Exactly. And other things people can do at 16, that they can't do at 12. Do you have specific arguments[^1] about the age range of gender affirming care?

A trans person in their 25-30's having undergone puberty will have to undergo expensive and painful procedures that could not undo all of the unwanted effects of puberty. Do you think this is a better outcome? Experts don't!

And most importantly: What do you think gender-affirming care is?

[^1]: Logic dictates that if you suggest a range like >25yo, you should back it up with arguments, other than "gender transition sounds scary so I should restrict it for anyone looking for it"

Which other age barrier are you upset about?

Paternalism much?

You're in favor of putting politicians between doctors and patients. Good job!

Yay let's kill children

Don't worry the vast majority of us feel as you do, we simply keep silent so the rabid mass does not descend upon us.

Social media helps to create and draw in unhealthy perspectives that can't help but viciously attack those who view things from the perspective of sanity.