Cis is a slur

submitted by Gender_Critical from self.GenderCritical

I fully believe that c*s is a slur, but I am curious to see if others have more well-reasoned arguments as to why.

My reasons:

C*s is a term created by the trans community and used to label people who don't belong to that community. Most of the trans community are gender-appropriating males.

Less than 1% of individuals identify as trans, so why the hell do we need a separate label for the 99% of people who do not? Sure, people are born with extra or no fingers, but there is no label to describe the vast majority of people who have all ten.

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[–]FlippyKing 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The first times I heard the word it was to tell me that my opinion just was not based on any direct knowledge of the matter at hand because I'm supposedly a cis male. It is definitely used as a slur, to dismiss what they do not want to hear. No one is "cis", because gender standards are created to enforce rigid social divisions and create standards all fall short of.

[–]SharpTomorrow 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's catch-22, it's an argument trap.In a discussion about gender, if you start using the world "cis" you've already lost, you've already accepted gender theory.

[–]BiologyIsReal 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I disliked the word "cis(gender)" since the moment I learned of it. I don't use it to describe myself because it doesn't describe me. "Cis" is not just about not identifying as trans. Using this term would mean I believe in "gender identity", that I see myself as a walking stereotype of womanhood, and that I recognize I have "cis privilege" over TiMs on the basis of being born female. None of these things is true, so I reject this word.

It is definitely used as slur and, also, as a way to shut up dissenting voices because according to woke people your identity is more important than what you have to say in an argument.

[–]lefterfield 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This. So much this.

[–]Britishbulldog 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

‘Gender-appropriating’. Oooh i like that. Might adopt ‘Gender/sex-appropriating’ into my lexicon.

And c-s is a slur. I prefer ‘actual’ or ‘real’ (or ‘natal’ if I don’t want to piss anyone off)

[–]lefterfield 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I like the idea of using SAM as an alternative acronym to TIM...

[–]grixit 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It is a slur.

[–]SweetBabyCheeses 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It’s not the cis bit I object to more than the whole word “cisgender”. I believe this infers that my gender and sex “match”. I just don’t identify with this. I am a woman. Simple. I don’t have a gender identity at all.

[–]chandra 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Less than 1% of individuals identify as trans, so why the hell do we need a separate label for the 99% of people who do not?

Same reason we use the term 'heterosexual.' Cis is just the opposite of trans in Latin, so to me it's always seemed an obvious, precise and inoffensive term that just comes naturally as a linguistic pair with trans: eg. Cisalpine Gaul and Transalpine Gaul, cis fats and trans fats, cisplatin and transplatin, etc. It's not an inherently negative, specially-invented label like TERF, which definitely is a slur.

I think maybe people aren't happy with the term 'cis' because they feel that using the terminology of transgender ideology means accepting its framing of the world, that using the terms 'cis' and 'trans' implies each side is equally valid. If I call myself 'cisgender' I'm participating in transgender ideology simply because it's a term that isn't really relevant otherwise.

[–]lefterfield 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think there's a few differences between 'heterosexual' and 'cis', however. I consider myself straight, but I wouldn't actually have to label myself as heterosexual. No one has ever insisted on it, in my experience, and if you refuse the label, the assumption is that you could be homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. Also, these are labels that describe a relevant part of myself and my identity, as they do for most people - who we are sexually attracted to.

But cis. For one, people DO insist you accept that label if you don't call yourself trans. They are saying that gender identity is a relevant part of yourself, even if you disagree. Well, I don't know what it means to "feel" like a woman or a man. I don't believe gender identity exists. But the 'cis' label is still forced on me, implying that I comply with the sex stereotypes of my birth sex. And yet, I don't. My childhood is filled with memories of hating being a girl, playing with the boys, with boy toys and boy games, and of struggling well into adulthood with being 'ok' as a woman. To the TRAs, none of that matters. My experiences, my feelings, how I see my identity, doesn't matter. I'm cis because I know what biological sex means.

LGB activists don't call you a bigot for 'sexual orientation ambivalence'. So yeah, cis is absolutely a slur.

[–]forwardback 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

gee, I can find the etimology of b*, c, wh***, and numerous other words, does that make them any less disparaging? I say your assertion:

It's not an inherently negative, specially-invented label like TERF, which definitely is a slur.

doesn't hold water! (That means your assertion is false.). Cis is a slur. Intentional naming.