I’m a hyper-logical type, does engineering things for fun

That’s totally cool! Many so far have presented philosophical answers based more in application of reason than empirical inquiry when you might perhaps prefer an answer based in biological science.

I suppose my followup to that would be what gives someone a specific sense of gender?

As a binary trans woman my very being in and for myself imparts upon me a capacity for directly revealed self-knowledge regarding my gender, which is to say how I wish to be as a presence and present myself to others within the world.

To say ‘I am a woman’ is taking societies interpretation of woman as being right.

Perish the thought! In general however I might reveal my gender it is as an invitation to others for them to interact with me and understand me as a woman. Try to think of this as less a matter of being right or wrong and more one of how you and another might best both enjoy your interactions together.

What differentiates that from ‘I am a man who likes womanly things’?

Gender does! It is literally that simple.

What separates the ‘tomboy’ woman from a trans-masc?

They would through their understanding of their own genders which grants truth or grants falsehood to statements regarding their gender.

Yes indeed! You might wish to look into the idea of double consciousness, the dual self-perception experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society. Its a sense of attempting to perceive yourself as both who you know yourself to be and as an oppressive other will perceive you. If you want to smash that noise then you need to learn to stop being ashamed of yourself!

Also, you definitely should be taking the self-defense class appropriate to your gender as violence is very often gendered. There’s a podcast episode of The Gender Rebels about one trans women’s experience taking Krav Maga you might want to give a listen.

Good luck and take care :)

That sums it right up I think but supposedly its for the worlds creditors who all read your local newspaper to watch for us changing our names just to get away from debts.

Yep! It’s been five years so far of hrt for me and I still haven’t legally changed my name. Most likely that’s due to having felt like names were all fake for so much of my life. Yet why was I so jealous of my friend who just picked her own new name in grade school and got away with it? My state in the us still requires running a newspaper ad for a while which isn’t something I’m looking forward to and the state I was born in requires gcs to change birth certificates. There’s a fair possibility that I’m intersex as well though which would allow me to have my birth certificate changed to reflect that with only a test of some sort. I’m definitely going to get it all done before the end of the next presidential election here since who knows what horrors might happen if the republicans won in this climate.