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.

Personally, I find it offensive because I am a woman. I respect other people's choice to be referred to however they decide. Equally I expect others to respect that I am a woman and like to be referred to likewise.

If you want to be referred to as a ciswoman then that's up to you, but you cannot speak for anyone else.

I don't mind what people choose to call themselves.

Transwoman friend - she has a name (and look at the pronoun I used)

Transman best friend - he has a name too (see I did it again).

When discussing them personally I use their chosen names.

That is who they are!

I am a woman. An adult human female. I am the absolute acme of female, every single cell in mu body. So what I am is women is female. I do not need any additinal label to clarify my womanliness, my femaleness.

What I am is not a subset of woman, a type of woman.

And, as others have said, I dislike it. Stop misgendering me! Misidentifying me! Annoying me!

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).

But I think gender is a made-up word for societal restrictions and regressive attitudes. So I don’t like any ‘gender’ terms, really.

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.

But I think gender is a made-up word for societal restrictions and regressive attitudes. So I don’t like any ‘gender’ terms, really.

I personally don't like to think that just because I was born with a vagina means I am a woman
Well, biologically this is exactly what it means.

I personally don’t like to think that gender is a reasonable concept, but I’m quite happy for trans gender people to use it to explain why they don’t feel like they belong happily to their birth sex.

I just don’t want all terms and language to lose meaning and purpose to appease people who believe there’s more value in a made up concept (gender) than in biological reality (birth sex).

The first two replies sum it up for me.

And yes to the person who said 'cis woman' implies privilege

I do not have a gender identity and I strongly object to anyone trying to impose one on me. I have a sex and the only word you need to describe my sex is 'woman'. I would appreciate it if you respected that, thank you in advance.

There's so many different terms, for so many different things. I can't keep up.

I disagree with gender as a social construct so I prefer not to be cisanything thanks

@Glamflimfloogety

I would just like to point out I have not and will not be reporting a single reply. Even if you insult me and misgender me. I want to hear peoples opinions.

When a woman says "I am a woman", it's a statement of fact. Ergo, if a male says the same, it must be a falsehood by sheer logic.

Why was I zapped? I merely made a statement and I wasn’t rude, threatening or aggressive.

OP rather than start multiple threads maybe you should do some reading as all these issues have been discussed here previously, at length. It is not fair to exploit women's time and labour in this way (I think you call it spoons?)

You could start here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3145470-Break-it-down-for-me

By your logic as I don't identify with the stereotypes associated with my sex I am non binary or agender.

Except it's not that I have 'cool girl' syndrome and think myself different from the other women-come-barbies, it's that I recognise stereotypes are just that and people have different personalities and likes and don't all slot neatly into boxes. You'd certainly need more than the 100 often referenced.

I find it offensive because you are implying I'm complicit in my own oppression. I don't have a pink brain and I am a mixture of masculine and feminine traits like most people. This doesn't make me special, I'm unique like everyone else.

We already have perfectly good words for me and those who do wish to buy into gender ideology. If you want to label yourself crack on, but please respect my nouns.
Ta.

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.

Echoing some of the other posters here. The only thing that makes me a woman is my being female. I feel uncomfortable with a lot of aspects of feminity and feel like I have to perform it. I feel extremely uncomfortable with societal restrictions on what a woman is or should be. I have lots of 'boy' interests and 'girl' interests. That doesn't make me somehow non-binary or not a woman and it's offensive to claim it does. I'm still just as much a woman as a woman who loves make-up and glitter and pink. If I had a penis and produced sperm, I'd be a guy. Even if I had the exact same brain. To me, it makes the most sense for woman to just mean a female person. It's deeply regressive to say it's just a feeling or identity and that we are cis and identify with woman gender. And people constantly throw cis in your face on Twitter etc. They tell me I'm cis whatever I like it or not, even though I never meet their definition of cis. Even if I did identify as an enby or whatever, I'd still be regarded as female and treated as such. I'd still have to put up with my female body basically being against me all the time.

Because I object to anyone changing what I am. I'm a woman. Always have been, always will be. Full stop.
The arrogance to try and dictate to me what I am...

The term is perfectly fine for those who identify as cisgender. I identify as a biological female.

@yeahbutnaw

Did you read the thread?

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 honestly confused as to why so many females (sex term) who identify with being women (gender term) dislike the term Cisgender

The problem is you've misunderstood out from the start there. We don't "identify as women (gender term)".

We are female (sex) and do not believe in a gender identity (gender roles, expectations and stereotypes are far too real though), therefore without a gender identity how can it be either cis or trans?

I would also say there's seems no set consensus on what cis means, so I'm personally not keen on identifying myself as something that ill defined.

I've seen it described 3 different ways:
1- Not-trans: I don't usually describe myself based on what I am not, so not confidante calling myself cis on this logic.
2 - Sex matches gender identity: See above regarding not having a gender identity. As a feminist I think it is offensive to suggest I am comfortable with the gendered expectations placed upon us due to our sex.
3 - No feeling of dysphoria: Now this one is interesting because actually in this circumstance I would have to agree In cis, and in fact was comfortable with the cis label when applied this way. Same as I'm am comfortable being referred to as NT (neurotypical) when it is relevant to the conversation. But I'm pretty certain this definition is now seen as transphobic, therefore calling myself cis (whilst using this definition) would no doubt also be regarded as transphobic?

So there's your answer.

I'm a woman by virtue of having been born into the female sex and grown into an adult example of it.

I have been conditioned all my life by the stereotypes and assumptions attached to that sex. I resent the fuck out of them all.

I do not, and refuse to, identify with something I think is wrong. I don't believe in souls. I have no innate sense of gender.

So what I have is a body - with female coding in every single cell - and a personality.

Woman. Not cis. The term is an insult and an implied acceptance of oppression.

And people who insist they can choose their own label which I must respect, but also impose one on me that I reject... I find that very interesting.

OP, I don't have a gender identity. I don't believe in gender identity. I accept that some other people have an innate sense of maleness or femaleness or something else, and I accept that it's important to them in how they move through the world - in much the same way as a Christian, say, genuinely experiences their faith at being of the core of who they are. Luckily in this day and age I'm not required to identify myself as a heretic for not sharing that faith, and it would be compelled speech for someone to require me to do so. Identifying myself as cisgender would be similar - it would imply that I accept the belief system, which I don't. Ditto 'identifying' as non-binary which also demands acceptance of the belief in gender identity.

Your view that you want to identify as cisgender commands respect insofar as you don't try to compel others to share it or comply with it. At the point where you or anyone else tries to force, shame or otherwise oblige another person to describe themselves as cisgender when they don't accept the belief system, then the view ceases to command respect and becomes an attempt at compelled speech.

@caringcarer

The term is perfectly fine for those who identify as cisgender. I identify as a biological female.

That's what the term cisgender means.

I wouldn’t mind so much if you hear people refer to Cis-men, as well as Cis-woman, but you never do. You only ever hear about Cis-woman.

I did a straw poll in my office. Not one person had heard of the term Cis.

Incidently, it is pronounced ‘sis’ as in ‘sister’, or ‘kis’ as in ‘kiss’.