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Original poster

The use of cis gender

110 replies

Ollycat · 17/12/2016 10:05

I've read the trans threads and they've definitely been an eye opener! I would say I'm definitely Spartacus!

Can someone enlighten me on the whole cis thing? When did it start becoming prevalent and who was the driving force behind it? The phrase cis woman is something I find quite disturbing- I am a woman plain and simple- not something which needs a quantifier.

Sorry if this is really basic stuff but am intrigued as to how this sort of terminology has become a "thing" and how it's becoming ok for men to define/ explain to women what it means to be a woman?

Genuinely confused and shocked about the whole thing.

OP posts:
YetAnotherSpartacus · 17/12/2016 13:49

FtT tend not to rabbit on about 'cis men' in the same way that MtT go on about 'cis women'.

Datun · 17/12/2016 13:43

Yoarchie

They are used, but the conflict is largely more between transwomen and women. Men don't tend to be bothered in the same way if a transman tries to compete with them in sport or want to use the bathrooms.

Yoarchie · 17/12/2016 13:37

Is this a woman thing though?

Are the terms cis man and trans man not used (I am asking as I have no idea, not to cause an argument)

0dfod · 17/12/2016 13:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Ollycat · 17/12/2016 13:09

Thank you.

To me, as well as being totally unnecessary the term cis woman doesn't sound massively complimentary- we are women not just a subset of women...

OP posts:
TheGruffaloMother · 17/12/2016 12:48

Essentially, everybody is allowed to choose their own terminology bar those who don't feel they need a qualifier. Then the terminology will be chosen for you by those who feel they do.

Go figure.

MoreThanUs · 17/12/2016 12:46

ChocChoc I agree.
Could you talk me through the significance of the lack of space between 'trans' and 'woman' though. I like it instinctively but not sure I get it. Thanks

DameDeDoubtance · 17/12/2016 12:42

What really pisses me off is when you are labelled cis women and are thought to wholeheartedly accept all the shit that is lumped on your sex, just 'cause you've not opted out by choosing one of the new shiny names.

shinynewusername · 17/12/2016 10:47

"I do not identify as a cis woman" is a useful phrase Wink

ChocChoc has it exactly right.

ChocChocPorridge · 17/12/2016 10:40

It's a language trick:

If there are trans women and cis women then they're both women but with a descriptor - ie two subsets of a super-set 'Woman'

If there are transwomen and women (note the lack of space), then it's clear that transwomen are a separate set from women (which are a separate set from men).

This manipulation is one of the reasons I wouldn't use it - because I don't think that transwomen are a subset of women, but should be considered a subset of men (expanding the bandwidth of what being a man means - to hijack another's phrase)