Cisgender is not a Slur
Stop being offended by a simple descriptor
I have used, and will continue to use, the term cisgender in my writing. It does surprise me how some people will berate me for using it, as if it is a slur against people who aren’t transgender. Let’s start by defining the term.
Cisgender: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth. — Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The use of the word cisgender is just a means to differentiate between people who are transgender and those who are not. It’s never been meant as a slur or to be offensive. It’s used for clarity of language.
Why Cis-?
If we look at the Latin root of the prefixes being added to the word gender, trans- and cis-, it makes the usage of cisgender clear.
Trans- means on the other side of, while cis- means on the same side of. This is why we use the term transgender for people whose gender identity is on the other side of, or different, from their biological sex. It then stands to reason we would use the prefix cis- and form the word cisgender for people whose gender identity is on the same side of, or merely the same, as their biological sex.
