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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Banning the term "cis"

979 replies

OlennasWimple · 06/07/2016 23:36

Apologies if this had already been done, but can MNHQ consider banning the term "cis", given how horrifically offensive so many users of MN find it?

I don't think I need to set out the background and reasoning to this request (but can do so if it would help!)

OP posts:
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6
SuburbanRhonda · 07/07/2016 13:03

I don't think those rules would be workable either, but I agree with the sentiment 100%.

I wish we could also ban the following:

"I don't personally find it offensive ergo it is not offensive and anyone who claims it is needs to get a grip."

hazeyjane · 07/07/2016 13:07

If anyone refers to me as a cis woman, I will report it as a personal attack, and if I see it used to describe someone else, I will report it as an offensive word.

I am female, I don't need another descriptor thanks.

KittensandKnitting · 07/07/2016 13:13

I have read this thread and another which popped up in active and find the term to be very offensive.

It does appear that some people have the view that as women we are not allowed to be offended by this, that we should just shut up and accept this term as the new way to define us, as to not assign us a new category would offend trans-women.

I am finding it more and more offensive the more I read.

60sname · 07/07/2016 13:15

This site predominately used by women, the vast majority of whom object to the term cis

No, the vast majority of the posters on this thread (many of whom are extremely vociferous on all threads of this kind) object to this term.

I for one do not object to the use of cis, as by and large it is used only in context of differentiating between trans and non trans people. A differentiation which seems to be some that many who object to 'cis' are pretty keen on.

VioletBam · 07/07/2016 13:16

Kittens thank you.

The only time to refer to another woman as "cis" is when discussing them in relation to trans women....it's to avoid confusion mainly. Trans women do have some issues unique to them...and it's important to respect the trans women community as part of our world in my opinion....just as it is for them to respect us.

I'm glad MNHQ aren't banning the word.

PurpleDaisies · 07/07/2016 13:17

The only time to refer to another woman as "cis" is when discussing them in relation to trans women

There's no need-there is a perfectly good word for women who are not trans women. You don't need to add cis to it.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 07/07/2016 13:18

Why would it be confusing if you're talking about transwomen to use the term 'women' when you mean not-transwomen?

VestalVirgin · 07/07/2016 13:24

I for one do not object to the use of cis, as by and large it is used only in context of differentiating between trans and non trans people. A differentiation which seems to be some that many who object to 'cis' are pretty keen on.

Actually, no.

I am not as different from transmen (= biological females who identify as male) as they would like to believe. I do not identify with feminine gender role any more than they do. "Cis", however, is a term that seeks to imply that just because I do not identify as "transman" I am okay with being oppressed under patriarchy.
I resent this alleged difference. It does not exist.

CoteDAzur · 07/07/2016 13:25

"it's important to respect the trans women community as part of our world"

I would like to understand in which sense transwomen are part of my world.

Do they share our female biology? No.

Do they share our socialization, starting when we were born a female child? No.

KittensandKnitting · 07/07/2016 13:25

Your welcome

I completely agree that it is important to respect all other human beings.

But I don't understand why I have to be referred to a cis-woman to avoid confusion in the context above surely woman is enough. If you are having a discussion about women and trans-women then the distinction has already been made?

I said in an earlier post I cannot what these people go through, nor can i imagine how difficult it must be to adjust to living in the world afterwards, and we should all respect others (wouldn't that be a wonderful world) but to refer to me as a cis-woman for me personally is offensive and my rights/views/feelings are equally as important and should not be diminished - there does seem to be a lot of "there there dear, it's just a term" and I don't think men would accept it so easily or be expected too.

hazeyjane · 07/07/2016 13:26

Trans women do have some issues unique to them

As do women.

This being the case, why can we not use the term women to describe women and trans women to describe trans women. Or is that too radical?

albertcampionscat · 07/07/2016 13:27

Hold on a second. How dare you say that any woman who does not object to 'cis' is happy with gender stereotypes? Just because something gets said over and over in the circle jerk of these threads does not make it true.

ErrolTheDragon · 07/07/2016 13:28

I suppose if you want to be able to use 'women' inclusively but the discussion was about some difference between trans women and others then it might have some use (I don't care for not-trans woman ... defining the larger group by not being the smaller group makes no sense!).

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 07/07/2016 13:30

No - so you just say women and transwomen!

CoteDAzur · 07/07/2016 13:31

"I cannot what these people go through, nor can i imagine how difficult it must be"

I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to be schizophrenic or anorexic, either, but nobody is asking us to pretend we can see little green people or pretend that a 40 kg skin-and-bones teenager is too fat and indeed needs to diet.

So why do we have to pretend that a big male with intact genitals is a woman?

albertcampionscat · 07/07/2016 13:31

As for comparing 'cis' to the N word - I must have missed the bit where trans men and women enslaved and lynched women.

albertcampionscat · 07/07/2016 13:33

All the things we could be discussing on this board - pay, childcare, rape culture, Bechdel test, and instead we go round and round on this meanspirited shite.

SeekEveryEveryKnownHidingPlace · 07/07/2016 13:36

Well go and discuss them, if you find it so dull, Alberts!

Bails2014 · 07/07/2016 13:37

OK, here I was thinking this was a post about someone having a nightmare with tax under the CIS scheme, in which case I was going to offer my total sympathy.

PurpleDaisies · 07/07/2016 13:37

All the things we could be discussing on this board - pay, childcare, rape culture, Bechdel test, and instead we go round and round on this meanspirited shite.

Seriously? As if people can only care about one issue at a time...Hmm

BertrandRussell · 07/07/2016 13:38

"All the things we could be discussing on this board - pay, childcare, rape culture, Bechdel test, and instead we go round and round on this meanspirited shite."

Because they are about women- don't you understand? Proper conversation - particularly feminist conversation- is about how the world affects men........

SuburbanRhonda · 07/07/2016 13:40

You're not obliged to either read or post on this thread, albert.

And in what way does the starting of this thread prevent discussion of the other issues in your list?

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 07/07/2016 13:41

It doesn't bother you that collecting statistics on equal pay, male violence, representation of women in culture and the media is well on the way to becoming impossible because of this redefinition, then, Albertcampionscat?

I assure you the women who care about the term cis care very much about these issues. I would like to know exactly how you think we are going to be able to maintain campaign effectiveness when it becomes impossible to accurately measure and describe the scale of the problem.

Original poster
OlennasWimple · 07/07/2016 13:47

Erroll - I saw my proposed amendment as a clarification to the existing MNHQ stance, to be clear that the term can be applied to oneself, but not to others (specifically or generically)

If I want to call myself a bitch, I can but I can't call other pp it. Same thing: where it happens, we can report it and MNHQ can take appropriate steps.

OP posts:
VioletBam · 07/07/2016 13:47

Yuk.

The vitriol and hatred on here is actually startling.

I am reporting the entire thread. Far to much hatred.