What's wrong with 'Cisgender'

[ASugar]

As someone who identifies as a cisgender woman and works in sexual health, I am honestly confused as to why so many females (sex term) who identify with being women (gender term) dislike the term Cisgender?

Now I'm not here to tell you what to say, I am genuinely curious.

However, here is my opinion for those who may be interested.

Cisgender just means you are not transgender. That your sex links you your gender and you assign any gender terms (ie. Pronouns, Gender identity, sometimes gender expression but not always, etc). I personally don't like to think that just because I was born with a vagina means I am a woman because I know many men with vaginas and women with penises. Additionally those who don't have a gender identity, then that would mean you wouldn't use women and men as they're gender terms (according to medical professionals). It would make you non binary or agender.

I understand that the term 'Cis' has been used to insult others which for that I am sorry.
My view is that if you can't allow trans women to be accepted in society and identified as women (without the need for 'trans' infront of it constantly) then we should be using cisgender. It is a medical term that professionals such as the NHS recognize. But I understand that is just my opinion.

I probably won't be commenting as I can imagine this will be filled with comments and I don't want to disrespect anyone's views. Just a cisgender woman who wants to understand more...

And as always I would appreciate if you respect my view as I'm going to be respecting all of yours.

@Spidder

Has anyone actually worked out what it feels like to be a woman yet? I'm a biological one, but I'd like a checklist to see if my gender matches. If it includes heels,makeup and tight trousers, I'm a 19th c man.

It feels like being in paid less than my male counterparts.

@yeahbutnaw

Cisgender is an accurate term.

The existence of Tall women, Black women, Muslim women, and Trans women doesn't negate my existence.

They're just adjectives. I've got no idea why everyone is so offended by them.

tall and black and muslim are descriptors of fact. Although you will need to take it up with WOC to check they are happy with that descriptor. They dont have idiology with it that in inferred by the opposite descriptor.

Cis is not. Because there isnt any option that isnt to do with accepting the idiology. Cis doesnt mean 'I dont believe in gender'. It means 'I totally believe in gender and buy into everything that society says a woman is - and I feel that deeply in my being'

Because cis doesnt mean 'not trans'. Cis means that you identify with the gender that is associated with your birth sex.

Because being a female is self explanatory and cis is just another bloody woke unnecessary term.

Female is the observed sex of your new born baby, gender will be the pink blanket she's wrapped in.

Excellent!

The use of ‘observed sex’ is so often swapped out for some shit about being ‘assigned at birth’, as if there was some decision to be made.

When I first started following these threads on here, I first heard that term and was I'm not cis, I'm just a woman.
Took offence to it as it felt like I was being told I was a subset of woman or something when I'm not, I'm just a woman! (Hard to describe but you get my gist lol)
I've read more on the issues now though, and and it doesn't offende me anymore as I see it as just a descriptor - ie I'm cis, not trans.
Kind of like how I'm straight, not gay.

So I assume my initial reaction is the same for those on here who still don't like it.

@ArabellaScott

Check your privalege

Yes, this is the clever trick, isn't it? With the word 'cis' we magically have created an ideology that posits women as in a more privileged position than males by virtue of sex.

Nailed it.

I believe we have had numerous debates on twitter.

Is it you that holds woman is, and has only ever, referred to gender; and anyone who uses the term woman to refer to sex is wrong?

*Spidder

Has anyone actually worked out what it feels like to be a woman yet? I'm a biological one, but I'd like a checklist to see if my gender matches. If it includes heels,makeup and tight trousers, I'm a 19th c man.*

It feels like having to always accept terms like 'Cis' just because someone ELSE decides it's an acceptable term. Rather than being respected enough by others to just be called a woman. I doubt very much that my DH has ever heard the term Cisman. Why? Because as far as he's concerned men have penises and that's that. Anything else for him just doesn't compute so he doesn't even think about it.

I am not cis because I don't identify as a woman, I am one. It suggests I identify with the gendered expectations associated with my sex, which I do not.

This really hit me when I was screaming in agony every day when breastfeeding my daughter. I hated every second of it. No amount of identifying in or out of it would change the fact that I couldn't share that job with my partner. Cis suggests that there is some sort of choice involved. Offensive to me, and even more so when you think of what girls and women around the world go through, such as fgm, forced marriage, freezing period huts, child sex trafficking...

"Cisgender just means you are not transgender" so just use man or woman then.

I actually think it would be helpful to have a non-contentious word that just means not trans, though I don't know if that view is widely shared

There is that word - woman.

It feels like being ignored despite repeatedly explaining how you feel about something and how it impacts you. If I had a penny...

Mockolate so how do you know what your gender is?
Im assuming its female, apologies if not, but what, to you, is gender? How did you know you have a female gender? What is it you have that is differemt to a male gender?

To me it sounds like faith in God. Some just know while the rest of us do not.

LadyGAgain. What she said.

I am female. Nothing else. Please respect my right to be female, as I respect yours to be any gender you wish.

Thank you for all your contributions so far.

Additional question, many of you have said that the term woman defines you enough and you don't feel you need to identify any further, which I can completely understand.

If a transgender woman said the term woman is all they used to define themselves, that would also be within their right. Agree or disagree?

@ASugar

Many people have stated that they don't agree or believe in gender. Although I disagree I can respect that decision. An additional question I'd like to ask is then why do we have to know the gender of our child? Shop in stores where clothes are described by gender? Etc.

Also, why do you call yourself a woman if the term technically is a gender term. By the way, scientists and medical professionals have determined this.

I am happy to know the gender identity of my child,if they decide that gender is a thing they want to use in describing themselves. I found out the sex of my DS via ultrasound scan and the sex of my DD when she was born. I don't think clothes should be split by "gender" / sex (or toys,or books,or hobbies,or....etc etc) I think people should be allowed to get on with liking what they like without restricting their choices.Except by what fits them,in the case of clothes. What else? Man = adult human male (sex) Woman = adult human female ( also sex) Gender: feminine/ masculine

When people use the thought experiment “how would you feel if you woke up in a man’s body?” does anyone else think “deeply concerned about the effect it would have in my husband and children and wanting to do anything possible to minimise their trauma?” And then I think, that, right there, that’s my gender, that’s my female socialisation.

If a transgender woman said the term woman is all they used to define themselves, that would also be within their right. Agree or disagree?

I agree.

It is a stupid modern day word, which I had never heard of before these new fangled words became a thing.

I am an oldie.and if I was chatting to some other oldies, and said I was cisgender, or non binary whatever silliness, they would all fall about laughing, and say I was loopy, or losing the plot.

The other reason I refuse to be called cis is that it is also meant to mean not trans. Specifically 'not a transwoman'.

The definition of a transwoman is a male born individual who identifies as a woman. Female born individuals, cannot be transwomen.

Which means cis woman is: not 'a male born individual who identifies as a woman'.

I'm a person in my own right, funnily enough. A sex in my own right. I am not about to be classified as 'not a male who does something.'

It's a negative use of language.

If a transgender woman said the term woman is all they used to define themselves, that would also be within their right. Agree or disagree?

They've got the right to say what they like!

If a transgender woman said the term woman is all they used to define themselves, that would also be within their right. Agree or disagree?

Anyone can define themselves how they like. And others can agree or disagree. We all have freedom of speech, no?

Disagree, because woman is a sex term, and TW are male. I am a woman, I don't appreciate someone calling themselves a woman who isn't.

@ASugar

Thank you for all your contributions so far.

Additional question, many of you have said that the term woman defines you enough and you don't feel you need to identify any further, which I can completely understand.

If a transgender woman said the term woman is all they used to define themselves, that would also be within their right. Agree or disagree?

They can say it all they like, it just wouldn't be true.

Where the problems really come is when public policy is enacted on this falsehood.