When should a person be able to choose his/her own gender identity?

The notion that a person shouldn't be or should be permitted to make the choice of gender identity at a certain time relative to age is fundamentally flawed. That choice will continue to be made with or with out the support of a parent. The question should be; should a parent support a child in their choice? It's sort of like asking; at what age should a child be permitted to choose what colors they like or what foods they prefer. A parent may not approve with a child's choices but they will never change how a child feels. I'm just saying............

The legal age is 18. At that point the person can change their name and seek medical procedures without anyone else's consent. Before that, the teenager could call a suicide hotline and get help and even possible get out of the home. But many of them are either embarrassed or scared or to unsure of themselves to ask for help.

Sadly, the suicide rate among transgender (or gender uncertain) teens is very high.

Why should a person be able to choose to be Napoleon?

A BOY in Ohio recently committed suicide, thus FURTHER DEMONSTRATING that HE was in the grip of a dangerous mental illness

HIS parents opposed validating HIS dangerous delusions in EXACTLY the same way, had he been claiming he was Napoleon, they would have denied HE was Emperor of France.

Answer YOUR OWN question: Should there be a legal age where someone's dangerous pathologies must be accommodated as if they were reality?

The truth of the matter, and I know I'm facing a swath of thumbs down, is transgender people are at a much higher rate of mental illness and suicide. Some even argue the act of of a sex change is a demonstration of deep mental illness. Conversely, the transgender people I know saw improvements with their depression after the operation. That being said- with the impulsive nature of teenagers, allowing them to make life altering decisions like a sex-change could be catastrophic. At least 18 years old.

I look at it this way. And it applies to gay, transgendered or straight and having sex:

It's one thing as a teenager to know you're gay or transgendered. But honestly, you grew up with your parents and you know them best. If you KNOW they are gonna have kittens over your chosen lifestyle, then you need to hold off and stay in the closet. Look for help on the downlow if need be. But stay in the closet until you're 18 and can legally get out of dodge. You will have matured enough by then to deal with the ramifications that will come your way. It's not that hard to do, and millions of others have done it before you.

This is the problem with the kid who committed suicide. Her parents were in no way obligated to accept their lifestyle. THEY DON'T HAVE TO. THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT. If it goes against their beliefs, it is perfectly within their rights to have a kitten and try to keep it from happening - after all the child was a minor. Very important distinction here. This kid expected them to accept it...

If my son were to tell me he was gay, I would accept it. I wouldn't like it, but it's his choice. I would also tell him to stay in the closet until he's done with school and 18. He shouldn't have to deal with other people who can't accept this yet.

"Choose their gender identity" has several meanings.

One meaning is full on reassignment surgery.

Another meaning is how one presents oneself. What clothing does one wear? What pronoun does one tell others to use?

Another meaning is how one feels about one's self, even if one doesn't display what one is feeling.

Adding to the confusion about are those who don't follow the norms for the gender that they feel. For example, there are people who were born with a penis, who think of themselves as "men", and are attracted to women, who prefer to wear skirts (for reasons of comfort or style) and resent that they can't wear one to the prom. (Hurray for kilts)

Which is different from cis-gendered heterosexual males who get a sexual charge from wearing women's clothing, but prefer men's clothing for daily wear. ("transsexual" is different than "transgendered")

One school of thought holds that the inner gender identity is inborn and that one can't choose whether one identifies as "male" or "female" all one can do is negotiate one's feelings through the societal expectations about gender.

Yes I believe there should be one because even though they are under age it is in fact their body and only they fully know how their bodies function and work.

There is such an "age", it is generally age 18 when a "child" becomes legally an "adult."