Apparently I shouldn't use the term SEX

You could go for the innocent 'Yes, I'm a chemist, why?' for the CIS poster.

Or 'Construction Industry Scheme, isn't it?'
Or 'Commonwealth of Independent States?'
Or 'Cambridge International School?'
Or (thanks to Urban Dictionary):
'Cis
Short for cis-gendered, meaning someone who identifies with the sex they were born as. Typically used by whiny tumblr users who complain about not being accepted for who they are and yet bash these "cis" people for being born and being okay with the sex they were born with.'

dontslouch you have my sympathies, that must be really grim having that offensive bullshit forced down your throat like that.

And to know that you would be called the bigot if you challenged it. By the bigots themselves.

OMG that Tucker Carlson clip! That woman! Did you see the way she said "great question" to buy herself time whenever she didn't have a fucking clue; the way she effectively said "that question about race is just too difficult for me and I can't actually defend my postition here so I'm just not going to answer it".

Was disappointed that Carlson actually gave her a relatively easy ride and let her cop out of that one and also didn't ask what she thought would happen when this "gender neutral" child starts to either menstruate, or sprout facial hair and experience their voice breaking. How the hell are they going to cope with the biological reality of being whatever sex they are if they've never been prepared for it? Puberty blockers as the default?!

'Do you know what CIS mean?'

I'd be so tempted to write what it means on the poster. Maybe 'unnecessary word used by people who seem confused by the meaning of the words 'woman' and 'man' , and if space allows add dictionary definition of 'woman' and 'female'

It certainly does get used that way. Academic style manuals used to be very careful and specific about which was appropriate in which context.

Are you saying that you don't think gender is used to mean biological sex in science and social science literature?

My typo. Google Scholar is a search engine for scholarly literature, e.g. papers in peer review journals. It's not a website.

Surely any website that can't even spell scholar can't be trusted?

If you go on Google Scolar and search for gender differences, there is page after page of Science and social science papers using gender to mean biological sex.

I've tried similar before, Bossy people get so confused by it. Good.

Best "cis" response ever, from a gobby (in the best sense of the word) friend of mine:

You're being offensive and you're misgendering me - I don't identify as 'cis', so please don't describe me as such! I'm a woman, pure and simple!

I wasn't there, but from what I hear, great confusion and politically correct head-scratching ensued.

I'm confronted with "CIS" in big black letters on that bloody poster everytime I go to the loo or make a brew. It's on every door. Pisses me right off but I wouldn't be able to raise it without being accused of transphobia. At least I'm pretty sure I can't.

word not world - oh for goodness fat fingers

word , not word.....though I suspose it is now such a growing fashion, world would be a better fit...

Do you know what CIS means?

It's the world that TAs use when they are trying to claim the word "woman" for themselves. Or, as you say, fuck off.

What baffles me is that the word "sex" as in male or female was cheerfully and accurately used by 19th century novelists without any need for euphemism.

nor was there a free text box where I could have explained why I objected to the question so ticked "prefer not to say"

I had the same thing today! I ticked 'other' and wrote 'gender is a social construct' as my comment.

Whenever I'm tempted to do that the thing holding me back is that I'll be added to the numbers for trans people.

indominus I really wish there'd been a free text option or an option to tick "other" then put "female". It just added to my rage at the posters displayed at work currently highlighting transgender issues including asking "Do you know what CIS mean? No? Come to our highly informative training and let us enlighten you!!".

Oh fuck off.

Me too Bossy! I used to teach the difference between the two terms to my sociology students in feminist theory class. The totally got it and never conflagated the two. Mind you that was 15 years ago....

That's great! I've met this great bloke recently and, upon hearing this, I'm leaning towards testing his ideological suitability by asking him if he thinks I'm a slut if I agree to gender after the second date ...

I all seriousness, though, as someone with a little background in the social sciences, I find this to be utterly ridiculous!

@dont - I had the same thing today! I ticked 'other' and wrote 'gender is a social construct' as my comment.

Indeed. One of the meanings of 'gender' is as a euphemism for 'sex'. Hence the trick being played on us all of conflating the two and then substituting a fundamentally different one.

I am well aware what sex means. Gender is much more problematic to define. There are a number of commonly used definitions I think.

My betting is that your daughter's sexuality has been hijacked, such a shame in someone so young.

She couldn't possibly enjoy sex if she confuses sex and gender.

Damson did she have a record for how many she could do in a minute?