"Feeling welcome" was the wrong way to put it, so let me correct that to "feeling comfortable". It captures the point I hinted at earlier way better: a community may change to be more inclusive, but that doesn't mean a lot if I still don't feel like I belong there.
To pick up the example scenario: a community of PC builders may happily welcome me, who's interested in hardware design, but it wouldn't change the fact that I'd be overwhelmingly surrounded by people who don't share my interest in hardware in the same way.
"Overwhelmingly" is the key here, as differences in individual values are expected and good, but there's a threshold.
I'm completely fine with not using the label and not considering myself a therian. I found a way that works for me.