So why are transgender people apparently so eager to talk others (especially kids) into thinking they’re transgender? So much so that they evidently think it’s a fun game? It’s just about self-validation and I gotta say I think being a little perverted is involved too.

If there's such a thing as a gender cult, then naturally there must be people who view gender identity as their literal religion: They believe all cis people are literally, inherently evil and all trans people are literally, inherently good; go past "you're either with us or you're against us" to "it is impossible to be a cis ally- you either have to be trans or you're against us"; they think everyone is trans, they just don't know it yet, and it's their job to show everyone that they're really trans by any means necessary; believe in the intangible model of a soul/gender identity that takes precedence above all, etc.

The only thing they don't have to make it outright their religion is an afterlife/just reward for doing their bidding, since it's at "even if you do everything we say, when we die your privilege will guarantee you go to hell."