Current Events > Why do some cisgender people hate the term cisgender?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've seen this a lot when discussing transphobia. It seems like some cis people don't want to be "labelled" cisgender, often with statements like "I am a woman, not cisgender!". Is this just something transphobes and TERFs consider a slur?

It's very odd to me as it's essentially just a descriptor to say someone identifies as the sex they are assigned at birth. Being cis doesn't replace someone as identifying as a man or woman. It's just very odd to me and I only see people objecting to the term when transphobia is being discussed.

It almost feels like that when transphobia is brought up, some cisgender people want to deflect and present cisgender people as victims too, for having to put up with "labels" they don't agree with such as this one. Seems like a complete false equivalence to me.

Is it something that's rooted in transphobia to object to this term? Would love to understand why somebody would consider it offensive or insulting as it seems like a completely understandable descriptor to me.

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what does "cis" stand for anyway like what does that prefix(?) mean?

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Some people just dont like having labels assigned to them.

Especially ones they didnt choose.

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The concept of being "cisgender" completely contradicts the views of people who say it; the notion that gender expression is something open and broad, and not deeply attached to one's sex. If anything, it affirms the problematic logic that trans people are different and need their gender identity to be pointed out and differentiated, as opposed to understanding that so-and-so is expressing themselves with whichever gender identity they see fit.

I'm very supportive of trans and non-binary rights, and the freedom to express gender as one sees fit, but I personally feel the excessive labeling of everything does more harm than good. Just look at the infighting within the trans and NB community over semantics.

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The Trent posted...

what does "cis" stand for anyway like what does that prefix(?) mean?

Dumbed down as much as possible, "trans" means "crossing" and "cis" means "staying put"

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Because they're transphobes.

Tyranthraxus posted...

Dumbed down as much as possible, "trans" means "crossing" and "cis" means "staying put"

oh
i would never have guessed that
is cis a term/prefix that was invented to be in contrast of the prefix trans or was it a prefix i just don't know of that was used in some other ways beforehand?

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Alteres posted...

Some people just dont like having labels assigned to them.

Especially ones they didnt choose.

Apparently, TC thinks thats a deflection.

I suspect TC does not actually want the answer to the topic question.

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The Trent posted...

oh
i would never have guessed that
is cis a term/prefix that was invented to be in contract of the prefix trans or was it a prefix i just don't know of that was used in some other ways beforehand?

It's an old, deprecated word that was brought back because it was the "close enough" to opposite-of-trans they can find.

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thanks, consider me schooled

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Because it's dumb? And anyone using the term sounds like an idiot? Why am I not supposed to label you, but you're allowed to label me?

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I'd imagine it's because it's a relatively new label that is being applied to people that, as part of a larger issue, they feel doesn't apply to them at all.

In fairness, the trans community does often seem to run on an assumption that everybody is up on all the terminology and the issues surrounding trans people. I think a lot of people are not so much transphobic, as apathetic.

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IloveJesus posted...

I think a lot of people are not so much transphobic, as apathetic.

This last decade has shown how depressingly little it takes for people to jump from apathetic to actively transphobic.

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i'm pretty apathetic until you tell me i'm transphobic then i'm like "hey!" and apparently transphobic

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i for one think the cishets getting in a twist over being called cishets is kinda funny

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omg i just learned what cis is but now i don't know what cishet means like can you be cis but not het is that not a redundant term

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Never heard anyone say it irl

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I call people whatever they want to be called, I dont care. All the trans people Ive ever known have been pretty easy going about it, and correct me if I say the wrong thing and I do better in the future.

Why do I have to be anything other than a he? All the trans people I know get to pick their pronouns. Why does it matter who is cis and who is trans, isnt the point is it doesnt matter?

also cisgender sounds like sisgender and I dont like it. I had no choice in the choosing

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The Trent posted...

omg i just learned what cis is but now i don't know what cishet means like can you be cis but not het is that not a redundant term

"Cishet" short for "cisgender heterosexual"

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Alteres posted...

Some people just dont like having labels assigned to them.

Especially ones they didnt choose.

This.

Somehow pointing it out is offensive though.

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refmon posted...

Is this just something transphobes and TERFs consider a slur?

yes

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The people who throw out the most labels hate being labelled themselves? :0!!!

But seriously, you gotta be real insecure to care that you now have a label like everyone else. Here's an idea, stop judging people based on this stuff and no one will need labels in the end :D.

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Lost_All_Senses posted...

The people who throw out the most labels hate being labelled themselves? :0!!!

But seriously, you gotta be real insecure to care that you now have a label like everyone else. Here's an idea, stop judging people based on this stuff and no one will need labels in the end :D.

who are the people who throw out the most labels?

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The Trent posted...

who are the people who throw out the most labels?

That slur for gay folks counts as a label.

So....

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Lost_All_Senses posted...

But seriously, you gotta be real insecure to care that you now have a label like everyone else. Here's an idea, stop judging people based on this stuff and no one will need labels in the end :D.

You must be joking. How many labels are we up to now? Im pretty sure its several dozen and growing.

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Pus_N_Pecans posted...

That slur for gay folks counts as a label.

So....

i'm confused by what you're saying, that straight people throw out the most labels?
straight people are most of the population, like, overhwelmingly, right?

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"I didn't choose it"

You didn't choose your sexual orientation, or your race, or your birth country. Suddenly this one's a problem?

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The Trent posted...

who are the people who throw out the most labels?

Anyone that doesn't willingly accept a label, duh...

I don't get this jump as to how it's automatically transphobic though. It has literally nothing to do with them.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

It's an old, deprecated word that was brought back because it was the "close enough" to opposite-of-trans they can find.

They're Latin and cis is literally the opposite of trans. Cis- and trans- have been used to describe chemical isomers for over a century.

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TendoDRM posted...

They're Latin and cis is literally the opposite of trans. Cis- and trans- have been used to describe chemical isomers for over a century.

thank you

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The Trent posted...

i'm confused by what you're saying, that straight people throw out the most labels?
straight people are most of the population, like, overhwelmingly, right?

Yes.

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Pus_N_Pecans posted...

Yes.

gotcha

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TendoDRM posted...

They're Latin and cis is literally the opposite of trans. Cis- and trans- have been used to describe chemical isomers for over a century.

Yes but trans saw plenty of use outside of chemistry while cis did not.

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CyricZ posted...

"I didn't choose it"

You didn't choose your sexual orientation, or your race, or your birth country. Suddenly this one's a problem?

Do you *really* want to go this route, champ?

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Human_Username posted...

This.

Somehow pointing it out is offensive though.

What percent of those people will call a trans woman just a woman? Going to guess less than half.
If that's the line of logic they're going with, fine. Call all women women and all men men according to their self-described gender.

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Human_Username posted...

Do you *really* want to go this route, champ?

Hey come at me if you've got something to say.

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Why do we need a special word for a man who identifies as a man

The Trent posted...

who are the people who throw out the most labels?

Actually, everyone does. I probably shouldn't of said "most". More so just people who also throw out labels, not wanting to finally be labelled as well. It's all just really petty. We got way bigger things going on than being called Cisgender. Which is why I shrug it off. You must got a real comfortable life, if you have time to be upset at it.

Lorenzo_2003 posted...

You must be joking. How many labels are we up to now? Im pretty sure its several dozen and growing.

No idea what you're getting at and how that relates to my post. If you elaborate, I might understand. I said everyone has labels, so why would I think it would be a low number >_>.

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People can choose whatever labels for themselves that they feel comfortable with.

Except cisgender people, theyre cis and they better fucking accept it or theyre phobes.
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"Dear Mr. President. There are too many words. Please remove three. I am NOT a crackpot."

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Because they're dumb.

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CyricZ posted...

"I didn't choose it"

You didn't choose your sexual orientation, or your race, or your birth country. Suddenly this one's a problem?

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coh posted...

Why do we need a special word for a man who identifies as a man

because saying "not trans" all the time is combersome

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my understanding is that we created the term "cis" because we needed a label for non-trans people and calling them "normal" is offensive to trans people. is that correct?

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i wonder if those idiots cry about "straight" or "heterosexual" too

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ChocoboMog123 posted...

What percent of those people will call a trans woman just a woman?

Considering the majority of people are "cisgendered", I'm gonna wager it's a very high percentage as your average person is either supportive or indifferent to the trans community, not transphobic. I'm not sure where you get less than half tbh.

ChocoboMog123 posted...

If that's the line of logic they're going with, fine. Call all women women and all men men according to their self-described gender.

That's the plan...? You come off as super bitter, I'm not sure if it's intentional, but it's not a good look.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

Yes but trans saw plenty of use outside of chemistry while cis did not.

I assume that's due to cultural reasons, the trans community being seen as the "other". Unless you're referring to other cases, like "transit", but that's just because it's a more versatile prefix. You see "inter-" much more than "intra-", too.

If we are gonna have the term transgender, cisgender is simply the logical term to describe the opposite orientation.

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The Trent posted...

when you say "we"
who created this term of cisgender?

"people"

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TendoDRM posted...

If we are gonna have the term transgender, cisgender is simply the logical term to describe the opposite orientation.

now this guy is making fucking sense

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CyricZ posted...

Hey come at me if you've got something to say.

Not really, but reread that post you made, think of other labels that aren't necessarily this one, and tell me your post is still a good reason to allow labeling others.

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