@roadriverrail Of course, I didn't intend to imply that HRT was in any way necessary to define transness. I'm very sorry if it came across that way.
I was more trying to express that for me it felt like an important signal/data point (a tool in some sense). In many ways, for me, it feels necessary if I ever want to be perceived as in any way female, but that is obviously not the case for everyone.
At any rate, I really appreciate your input, and it's given me a lot to think about. 💜