Correct, the character on the screen is not you. But a normal functioning human being needs something to empathize and connect with, which is why, when given a choice, women gravitate towards female characters and men gravitate towards male characters. It's why boys play with action figures and girls play with dolls; it's why boys dress like super heroes and girls as princesses. Even if you want to disregard basic evolutionary psychology, the character you choose is your representation in the game world. It's how you want others to perceive you.

And if you're still not convinced, remember that your average normie never needs, wants or even thinks to justify their selection to others. It's instinctive. The only people who seem to aggressively try to justify their choice are people (I ache to call them men) who play as the opposite sex.

Tl;dr: if you're a guy playing as a girl, you're most likely a tranny in denial.

I love cyberpunk threads because everyone's extremely opinionated about it despite never having read the foundational novel of the genre, Neuromancer. If you can't remember the first line of the novel, you get to have no say on the supposed aesthetic of the genre.