Regards,
In this case, the author is talking about genuine girls.
I have read this book. It is well-researched with a valid hypothesis - are young, adolescent females, facing the physical, psychological, and social changes that come with puberty, more susceptible to the “escape” of adopting the trans persona?
Maturing as a woman is difficult. One's body changes. Breasts and hips, menstruation, sexual advances, etc. These young women seek less to become “males” as they seek to not become women (yet). Puberty-delaying drugs can help. Testosterone is an especially powerful drug - stops menstruation, stops hips from widening, stops breasts from developing. Stops that confusing estrogen stuff. If you don't develop mature female attributes (or have them sexually removed) you won't get the sexual attention you're not ready for. Add to that that it's currently “cool” to identify as trans - what adolescent girl doesn't want more social affirmation? Doctors and therapists can't help them address their actual problems, and in some states, neither can parents.
The book focuses on this population - extremely susceptible adolescent females - but makes no other judgments about the whole trans movement. It is a good read - if you can find it.
She is referring to teenage girls who transition to become boys. This has been a popular new fad for the past 10 years.
They are going through puberty which is not a comfortable for a girl.
You start growing breasts, you menstruate which is messy and painful, your emotions go crazy, your smell changes, even your center of gravity changes.
It gets better with time. Your body adjusts and your emotions settle and you learn to deal with it and even find advantages.
But when it starts you can feel like an alien in your own body.
And that is when they tell you that feeling that way means you are a boy trapped in a girl body. And they will give you stuff that will make you feel more normal.
And it does... for a while.
Doctors, therapist and physiologist are not able to tell you that you might be making a mistake, they can only affirm.
Your parents can do nothing and may even lose custody if they oppose you taking the blockers.
And by the time you realize you made a mistake you are sterile, you might never be able to have normal sexual pleasure or even any and that is without even having the surgery that will really mess you up.