can you explain what you meant by "critique of weaponizing gender", i liked the story when i first read it but i knew instantly i was missing something and haven't seen anyone discuss it since
so the story very much is about sacrificing and subsuming one's gender into colonialism, to take the essential and instinctual connections made by the brain that jump from things like "skirt" to "woman" and use them to brutally murder people with horrific accuracy. it mirrors and models the way people look at trans women and, faster than any other thought pattern, identify the failings of their bodies ("stubble" -> "monster" is the same mechanism that enables the protagonist of attack helicopter to fire missiles).
its been a while since i read attack helicopter so i dont have good examples
