I think we have to distinguish between having gender dysphoria and "being transgender." Having gender dysphoria is a clinical diagnosis; "being transgender" is a belief, an attempt to explain or find meaning in the experience of gender dysphoria.

It is often said that gender is a social construct; this is nonsense. Gender expression, gender roles, etc. -- these are, at least to some extent, social constructs; but gender itself cannot be. Constructs are artificial; that's what "construct" means: an ideation or projection of artificial order upon experience in an attempt to find meaning or utility in it. So, if gender is a construct, then it is artificial; and, if gender is artificial, being transgender is artificial. You can see where this leads. It completely delegitimizes the transgender experience.

We must assume that gender is real; nonetheless, it remains intangible. It cannot be proven; thus, it falls into the category of belief. That doesn't make it wrong; it simply means you subscribe to it even though you can't prove it. It's like love: I believe my father loved me, but I can't prove it. That doesn't mean his love wasn't real.

I think a lot of trans people are hurting and that deconstructing maleness and femaleness is seen as a port in a violent storm. I don't judge them for doing what they can to save their sanity; but I don't think they're correct. Nature created male and female to propagate the species; and having a gender that diverges from sex would not seem to be efficient to that end.

So, how do I see myself? In my heart, I believe I'm a woman; but I can't prove it, and I must, in intellectual honestly, admit that I could be wrong. That doesn't stop me from continuing to think of myself as a woman and living as a woman -- absolutely not. Thinking of myself as a man or trying to live as a man would send me into panic mode in moments; I feel it now, just thinking about it. But I don't try to force my belief on others.