Cisgender Is Not a Slur

When people say that cisgender is a slur some of the questions I ask are: Do you know what cisgender means? Why do you believe it’s a slur? Do you think the term heterosexual is a slur?

“Cisgender” is an adjective used to describe people whose gender identities "match" the sex they were assigned at birth. In other words, their gender identities align with what is socially expected for their birth-assigned sex.

That's all the word means.

If you tell me that it's disrespectful or offensive to call you cisgender, what you are saying is one or more of the following:

📣 I object to being decentered.
📣 I object to having the normativity of my gender made visible.
📣 I object to acknowledging that transgender, Two-Spirit, and gender nonconforming people exist. (Trans folx are approximately 1.4% of the U.S. population, according to a 2022 report from UCLA’s School of Law Williams Institute.)

I would never force anyone to adopt a term they aren't comfortable with or don't like. Everywhere except on Twitter, where "cis" and "cisgender" were banned last month, people can use whatever language they prefer. The language that you use does communicate whether or not you are a safe person for marginalized communities.

If you believe that all of us deserve to be treated with respect, including the LGBTQIA+ community, I would encourage you to examine your assumptions about gender. Learning about gender diverse people is a great place to start. Go to the Resources page on the HRC website and click on “Transgender” to learn more! https://www.hrc.org/resources

[Image description: Color block image in pink and purple with the word “CISGENDER” at the center.]