I wonder to what degree some of these trans people have been sexually assaulted, and if that might explain why they've put themselves in a situation where they can seek love and romance without the sexual aspect everyone else is interested in. More severe body dysmorphic disorders like anorexia have really high overlaps with sexual assault, and it might explain some of the weird, dissociated ways trans people describe their own bodies and sex, like how the woman in this piece won't stop talking about her "hole". I'm not an expert on sexual assault reactions, but I've heard it's not uncommon for people to try to make themselves unattractive in some way to ward off future assaults, and I have to wonder when I see people literally removing their genitals if this isn't a more extreme manifestation of that response.