I remember reading a fascinating article about the dancing plague, in which hundreds of people supposedly died due to a dancing frenzy
en.m.wikipedia.org
The modern-day explosion in the number of trans identifying people reminds me of this - it's a form of social contagion. There are some people who want to feel unique, or special, or have some attention or control in their lives, or feel that they are different and altering their gender may make them feel more 'normal'. A significant number are autistic or have other neurodiversities. Activists use violent rhetoric to persuade and influence and recruit, often targetting those with vulnerabilities, whilst also stifling debate on the issue. But there needs to be debate - there is a clear clash between women's rights and modern trans rights. I don't claim to speak for women on this issue, but my understanding is that 'old school' trans people were broadly accepted by women, whereas modern-day trans are not simply because a significant number do not appear to be anything other than chalatans roleplaying at being women rather than having true dysphoria.