Definition
Cis - denoting or relating to a molecular structure in which two particular atoms or groups lie on the same side of a given plane in the molecule, in particular denoting an isomer in which substituents at opposite ends of a carbon–carbon double bond are on the same side of the bond.
Cisgender/cissexual - used describe related types of gender identity where an individual's self-perception of their gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth.
Look at the two definitions above. Do you notice anything about the first one that stands out?
Did you notice how the first definition describes a relationship between two different atoms that compliment each other?
Also, did you know that Cisgender/Cissexual were terms created to compliment transgender?
No, you didn't. Why is that?
Cis is getting thrown around a lot these days in conversations between trans people and supporters of trans people. They use it openly and freely throughout the internet not realizing why the word was created in the first place. The use it in a way that is derogatory just like the n-word or the t-word. They use it to attack people who aren't transgender and it almost as if they want the word to bring shame on the rest of the world for not being a gender variant.
The words Cisgender/Cissexual had a positive meaning when they were created. The creator Carl Buijs has been accredited with the creation of the word. When asked how and why he came up with it he said, "As for the origin, I just made it up. I just kept running into the problem of what to call non-trans people in various discussions, and one day it just hit me: non-trans equals cis. Therefore, cisgendered."
In Latin cis means "on this side of," which is an antonym for the Latin-derived prefix trans-, meaning "across from" or "on the other side of".
So why now is Cis being used as a hateful word across discussions in transgender circles?
Transgender women get called men everyday. Transgender men get called dykes everyday. Usually the name calling is coming from someone who is gender conforming and they don't agree with gender non-conformity. These same people attack relentlessly until they are sure that their trans victims are broken and hurt, forgetting that they are people just like them. The hate that is spewed across the United States and the world for trans people is seriously disgusting. Some trans individuals don't even feel safe leaving the confines of their own homes, yet they transition so that they could be happy with themselves. A staggering 41% of trans people have tried to commit suicide or have come close to killing themselves. I can honestly admit that I am part of that percentage. It is a sad fact, but it is true. I am lucky that divine intervention stepped in and the quarter didn't land on heads or I wouldn't be here today. Not so many other trans individuals have been that lucky.
New figures claim 78 trans people have already been killed in 13 countries this year (2013) and 1,233 in 59 countries since January 2008.
Look at those numbers. 78 just this year alone. About 7 in the U.S. and it might be more, but some families don't claim that their sons or daughters were transgendered. That is a pretty sickening number.
Recently there has been an outcry from the public against these murders with rallies started to express the need for change. Isle Nettles' death has been used to get the public aware of how wrong it is for trans individuals to not feel safe in their own neighborhoods and on the streets.
Even despite all the new public views on transgender individuals ranging from up and coming tv actors or actresses, from the children who aren't gender conforming from an early age, from the transwomen who have been killed recently, all the way to Chelsea Manning coming out after her trial, a lot of trans individuals are still oppressed. Yes, it does seem that more and more people are realizing that these trans individuals are out there and that many of them are starting to come out of hiding because there is for more support now for us than there has ever been before, but that doesn't change that there are still many people that oppose transgender people having any rights.
Religious groups, family groups, feminist groups, male groups, you name it all come out in troves to attack trans people for just being true to themselves. They laugh in their faces, cite name calling and pretty much degrade us for existing. Some trans individuals are strong enough to just walk away, while others cower in fear and seem that they aren't able to get far enough away to stop being affected by the hate.
Trans people are sick and tired of living in fear and having gender conforming people attacking them for being who they are. They are tired of having to listen to rants of how they are scum of the earth, freaks, against nature, sinners and downright disgusting. This has lead to trans activist to take a stand and start fighting back. Some try to fight politically, getting trans awareness and trans issues out there. They advocate for rights and freedoms that should be open to us in the first place. Others fight back by having rallies and getting trans people together as a group to prove that they exist and that they aren't going away anytime soon.
Then you have the trans people that are just trying to defend themselves for existing. These individuals use the same techniques that the cowards do over the internet to attack back. This is where Cis became a negative connotation. This is where Cis lost its way. These individuals who tried to live normal lives and join the fight against patriarchy or misogyny, who tried to add to the building blocks of pushing society forward, have placed the word into a derogatory category. They throw it out there at the gender conforming groups and people as if they were shaming them for being who they are. They use it as a defense mechanism for countless reasons, but maybe to put a separation between themselves and them. I don't know all the reasons why it is used, I just know that when ever I see the the word, I know that it is being used in a negative connotation and that is sad.
I am not asking for people to stop using the word Cis and I am not asking for individuals to stop defending themselves from all of the haters. I am simply asking for our community to step up the game and quit getting as low as some of these other individuals dare to go. The more we use hate to defend ourselves the more hate will be used against us. We need to beat our enemies not in straight forward brutal battles, but behind the scenes, politically and intelligently. If you feel the need to defend yourself on the internet do it so using the best ethics possible. Don't allow for these individuals who spew hate to use you against yourself. Go into every fight level headed and be calm. Be aware when you have a troll or an actual person who is not quite educated on transgender existence. They will use every method to throw you off of your game and make you seem wrong or crude. When you feel that you can't deal with the conversations anymore just turn off that media for awhile while you cool down. If your end game is to teach them something, then teach it. Don't let them feel an accomplishment of making you look like a fool because your ideas were sporadic. Stay level headed and remember that you can't win every battle no matter how hard you try, but the war is far from over. There will be new days out there to win people over or give them insight. Today is not the last.
2 comments:
I thought I might be the only person on the planet that believed the label, "cis", did nothing but create and unnecessary divide. I understand that labels are often needed to communicate ideas in a reasonable number of words, but this label has the feel of being retaliatory (at least it is used that way on too many occasions) and that will not work in our favor.
Thank you for a well thought our article.
Thank you Robin I appreciate it
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