kickingandscreaming
PREMIER
From the ultimate source - the internet: A transgender person is someone whose gender identity differs from that typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.Vouch for the fact that there are genuine transgenders that are not influenced by adults, outside factors or that it's just a phase.
I believe it is a fact that people believe they are transgender. The determination is wholly internal to the individual. Neither one of us can prove or disprove the effect of outside factors. I'd argue there are always outside factors that push in both directions. We don't know if it's a phase until it goes on for a significant period, and I am sure there are people who have believed they have been transgender for many years.