I am a Catholic male with transgender affections / ideations. Can someone explain why medical transitioning is wrong?

Title says it all, I simply think the Church is simply not sufficiently scientifically informed in regards to this topic. Before I go on, for anyone worried, to be clear at this point in time I don't intend to medically transition as these affections are not strong enough to warrant that, but that is beside the point here.

Regardless I would say (from my perspective) that most resources on the subject of transsexuality from the Church are ultimately disconnected from reality, denouncing what are (for most people like me) simply caricatures which don't reflect lived experiences of people with these kinds of affections. By this I mean that when this is discussed at all, they are moreso addressing atheistic existentialism (in which all conscious beings should freely determine themselves without reference to God, or pre-existing natures/essences). Most discussions of transexuality from the Church seem to be in the tone of "people think they can choose to be anything at all, for no reason!" and in this way treat the subject as if it isn't a deeply neuro-biological condition which causes extreme psychological distress for hundreds of thousands. In the words of a catholic friend who used to be trans, "the Church just wants to talk about us, not to us".

For a summary on scientific reasons behind sex-non-conformance see this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QScpDGqwsQ in which these scientific reasons are given.

If it matters, I guess my more solidified position is that transitioning should be avoided when possible since it requires a lot of time and side-consequences, but can be overall psychologically beneficial for many who feel that they need it and so it should be available even if cautiously so.

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Also here are some objections and responses, Summa Theologiae style 😎

1. Gender affirmation operations (hormones, surgeries, etc) are an ultimately unncessary mutilation of healthy bodily tissues and destroy the order of things intended by God.

2. Such Affections proceed from the Fall, which so greatly disordered Human Nature that it now seeks after lesser goods. Therefore we should reject gender dysphoria as something not intended by God but proceeding from man's desire to transgress the law of God.

rep. 1) We amputate limbs that pose a threat to the organism as a whole. Ectopic pregnancies are an example of removing an otherwise healthy organ that has simply become unsafe due to other circumstances. Now, since identity is deeply psychological and is always related to the body and to one's appearance, some people may experience so grave of an alienation that changing their bodily appearance becomes medically acceptable.

For those who know about the case of John Money (where a boy was raised as a girl in an experiment and this boy eventually rejected being a girl) what most on the more reactionary side of things misunderstand about this is that it actually proves that gender is innate and cannot be truly 'conditioned' by experience (although maybe to a limited extent). Therefore it should be clear from this how people with sex-non-conformant ideations often (but not always) experience a real internal turmoil which often can only be adequately treated by transitioning. For more on this in general see the linked video.

rep. 2) Basically the same as reply 1. But: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 10:8). Going off of what was said before, since GD is a medical condition that can be treated by hormones and therapy and social support, (and yes, sometimes with mere therapy, but not often), whether it proceeds from the Fall or not is irrelevant (I don't think it is sinful, just a mental disturbance due to an alienation between one's gender and sex that can be resolved with the aforementioned). We are commanded to help the sick. Jesus simply does not command us to see people who mentally unwell and leave them in deep suffering. Also:

^(15) Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ^(16) If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ^(17) In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:15-17).

That's all I can think of for now. I don't see why it is sinful but am open to having my mind changed. Yes, I bring this to prayer when I can: "Deus in Adjutorium meum intende"