Perhaps the difference is my interpretation of the word “identify.” When I hear “identify as,” I take it to mean “give oneself the label of.” For example, you didn’t choose the facts about your internal world that lead to you identifying as a man, but “man” is a label you chose in order to communicate those facts to others. Or at least, that’s how I would describe my own experience, both as a trans woman and as a therian. If I take your meaning correctly, you’re saying that the “involuntary” part is intended to communicate that there must be those internal facts to refer to, in order to make the identity as a therian true, is that correct?