Cis

There’s a rather large blogsplosion going on, based on the response to, and subsequent “debate” around, the term cis. In the best tradition of blogging about blogging and sticking one’s oar in to a debate that you are only tenuously connected to by reading about it while linking to other blogs, I’m going to do just that.

Essentially, the argument is that trans people have no right to impose an identitity word on everyone else and that we are doing so in spreading the use of the word cis as an adjective equivalent to trans, cis being “not-trans”. The case against is that the “basic issue is that “cis” is an identifier, even though some writers claim it isn’t” (I picked this post because I found it and it neatly and articulately describes the counter argument to mine and not from some malicious “ooo I’m going to pick on… THIS blog” action. It’s still completely wrong though, in my opinion, just sayin’) and that we are therefore trying to redefine everyone and that this is not on, rude and insulting. Thing is though, this is not the right counter argument because… you know, it is based on a complete misunderstanding of how the term cis is intended to work, which is inherent in the quote I put there.

I mean, maybe I and the trans people I know are in some weird little minority bubble (a bubblet? a subbubble?) but, we’ve always taken it as a word only used when needed to distinguish between cis and trans people. So like, as a very good friend of mine said, “no one is expecting you to go into the bakers and say “Hi! I’m cisgendered! Oooh bagels!”". You know, if it isn’t relevant, it isn’t needed. I don’t go around saying “Hey I’m a trans woman” all the time. No, I say “I’m a woman”. Just like any cis person! How amazing! Like, who knew trans people didn’t want to wander around making a big deal of it? Oh that’s right, asking to be seen as equals is making a big deal, sorry! My mistake!

The trans modifier is only there when… relevant. Cis modifiers are even less often relevant, because it’s the unspoken expectation. The only time it needs using is when it would be confusing or othering not to use it. So, it’s not meant to be used as an identifier. It is a descriptor. That’s all. Just a way to avoid saying “woman and trans women”, or “women don’t face some of the issues trans women do” cos that would be like othering. You know? What is wrong with being able to say those with equality and respect for each other in the form “cis women don’t face some of the issues trans women do”?

You don’t have to use it like an identity or use it all the time or use it when it’s not relevant or if there is no need to distinguish between trans and cis people or use it when shopping or use it when you need to pee or anything else? Kthxbai.

I really, really just don’t get it. Unless, you know, you all really do think we ought to be in freak shows and you’re just too polite to mention it to our faces? I seriously doubt me posting this will make any difference at all. If you are cis and you disagree. Meh. I’ve had direct conversations with cis people who do disagree and it’s a pointless circular excercise that basically goes:

Them: “Eeeuw don’t label me!”

Me: “I’m not! descriptor, not identity! No!”

Them: “But labelling!”

Me: “No, no, isn’t, just descriptor. Examples that are also majority descriptors not identities!”

Them: “Eeeeeuw don’t label me!!!!”

…and so on until the heat death of the universe unless one of us is sensible enought to go meh. Which tends to be me. Cos, you know, there is little more soul wearying than talking to someone who wants to say “I’m normal, you’re not, no need for a word to describe me! I’m normal! Now stop being an angry, difficult trans person so I can go back to feeling sorry for you and happy about my normalness.” If we ever get past the label misunderstanding, we tend to end up on another circle of pointless misunderstanding hell where the cis person refuses to accept that there is such a thing as a cis person at all (cos like, who needs another word for normal eh? “Tsk, pesky equality, we don’t need it for freaks. Oops! Sorry! Trans people, no let me pat you on the head and feel glad to be me, off you run”). Any argument on the word cis I’ve ever been in follows the same pattern. Cis person says it’s doing this or doesn’t do that or whatever. Trans person, says, no you misunderstand, it’s not doing what you fear it is. Cis person ignores this and restates their original objection and requires an answer. Repeat until trans person gives in or leaves. Yay for enlightened debate and listening! Another triumph for tolerance and allowing a minority to speak fairly and freely about their position!

So you know, you feel free to other me and so on, you will anyway of course! I’m going to keep on using language that describes things neatly and doesn’t other me and stops me having to saying things like “Oh well see if you are a person-who’s-gender-assigned at-birth-matches-their-gender-identity you don’t face all the same issues as a person-who’s-gender-assigned-at-birth-doesn’t-match-their-gender-identity” Cos that would be silly. Don’t make me do it. No really, no one would win.

Related

• Cis the Third
• Rainbow of Humanity
• Trans Dark Matter