Cisgender: Encyclopedia II - Cisgender - Current Usage

Cisgender - Current Usage

Many (particularly transsexual-inclusive) communities use the term "non-transsexual" or "non-trans", perhaps because the more scientific-sounding term "cisgendered" has not yet gained popularity or widespread usage in everyday English. Other groups, however, consider it inappropriate to define any group by what they are not.

Many transgender people prefer "cisgender" to "biological", "genetic", or "real" male or female because of the implications of those words. Using the term "biological female" or "genetic female" to describe cisgendered individuals excludes transgendered men, who also fit that description. To call a cisgendered woman a "real woman" is exclusive of transwomen, who are considered within their communities to be "real" women, also.

The word is rarely used by people outside communities concerned with transgender issues, and thus, it is not often used to self-identify, although its meaning does accurately describe a (probably little-considered) aspect of their identities. On the other hand, because so few people who are described by this term use it to self-identify, it can sometimes thought to be an epithet.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Current Usage", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki