you might come across more like someone who genuinely cares, rather than someone virtue signalling for a pat on the back.

Nope. I’m going to continue supporting women as equal to men, I’ll use male and female as terms to describe both, and if I do so without your approval so be it. I know where I stand as someone who cares about people regardless of gender and recognizes women’s rights still have a way to go (and are under attack especially now). As such I don’t mind you trying to tear down my honest support as virtue signalling because it’s just not true.