I did get the HRT usage, either by scrolling down a little on the Wikipedia page, or when the girlfriend says that she's invented her gender and doesn't want a new one. (Which is a great line.)
Miéville can be a slow read (especially PSS); check out Three Moments of an Explosion some time, which is short stories--much more approachable.
Anyway, point is, what you've got here is lovely. :-)