on this side of; having gender identity matching birth sex
Latin cis 'on this side of'
Cis means 'this side' - like staying on your side of the river!
Cis/trans are neutral chemical/linguistic descriptors (Latin cis-/trans- = 'this side of'/'across'). However, cisnormativity—treating cis identity as default/unmarked—erases trans experience. The bias is not in 'cis' but in its omission from visibility.
Use 'cis' explicitly when discussing gender. Normalize 'cis' and 'trans' as parallel, equally specified categories. Avoid default language like 'real women' or 'biological women' that imply cis-only validity.
Trans people fought for and articulated 'trans' identity; linguistic visibility of both 'cis' and 'trans' honors that agency and resists cisnormativity.
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