Erin Reed has a good article (Jun 22, 2023): 'Cisgender' Is No More A Slur Than 'Straight' Is - Elon Musk Restricts Term On Twitter: Elon Musk declared that 'cis' is a slur on twitter. The word is no more a slur than 'straight' or 'heterosexual,' and it has over a hundred years of use to describe gender identity or presentation."
She wrote: "Yesterday, in a stunning development, Elon Musk announced that Twitter would begin to consider the term 'cis' or 'cisgender' as a slur. The word, which is important in conversations that center on gender identity, is extensively employed by transgender people, as well as by medical professionals, researchers, service providers, and advocates, to differentiate between transgender and cisgender individuals and their distinct needs."
The result: "Musk is endorsing policies that squelch the speech of transgender people who use terms like 'cisgender,' which are essential in explaining lived experiences and unique circumstances to differing gender identities."
This is Musk's June 2023 post.
In October 2023, Musk tweeted: “The word ‘cis’ is a heterosexual slur. Shame on anyone who uses it.”
In response to which, on October 30, Ari Drennen tweeted: "They think 'cis' is a slur because they use 'trans' as a slur"
Yesterday, January 11, 2024, Musk similarly tweeted: “Cis is a heterophobic word. Shame on anyone who uses it.”
Plainly, it isn't. If "heterosexual" and "straight" are not slurs for "not gay/bisexual," why would "cisgender" be a slur for "not transgender"?
People have written about this on Medium (unpaywalled links):
* Cisgender Definitions Pax Ahima Gethen
* No, “cis” is not a slur David Allsopp
* Cis Is Not a Slur. It Does Not Belittle Who You Are. Emma Holiday
* Cis Women Don’t Oppress Us. And Cis Is Not a Slur. Cassie Brighter
* What Does “Cis” Mean, And Is It Bad? Quispe López
Also, notably:
"My 2007 book Whipping Girl is probably best known for two things: It popularized “cis” terminology (which I did not coin) and introduced the concept of “transmisogyny” (which I did) ... In the intervening years, many people have taken up this language, often using these words in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. Which is perfectly fine, as language is always evolving, and I am not the “gatekeeper” for these words. ... All my essays revisiting cis terminology are collected..." Julia Serano, What Is Transmisogyny?, Medium, May 24, 2021
Transphobes reject the word "cis" because they don't want trans people to say things that make sense.
Trans people often use simple language to make obvious points like "people who aren't 'trans' are 'cis'," "anti-trans positions are transphobic," "anxiety about trans people is moral panic and scaremongering," "concern about hypothetical trans people being too trans is concern-trolling," etc.
Transphobes object to this language because it shows them exactly how they're being transphobic, a judgment they reject in its essence. To persist in their anti-trans agenda, they object to trans people using language that diagnoses anything at all as transphobic. They object to trans people using language that makes the relevant distinctions that will enable us to go on to diagnose anything as transphobic.
On May 14, 2024, "X made good on the regressive provocateur’s stance and reportedly began posting an official warning that the LGBTQ-inclusive terms could result in a ban from the platform." If you use the word on the platform, "trying to publish a post using the terms “cisgender” or “cis” in the X mobile app will pop up a full-screen warning reading, 'This post contains language that may be considered a slur by X and could be used in a harmful manner in violation of our rules.'" (Will Shanklin, "X now treats the term cisgender as a slur," Engadget, May 14, 2024)
Of course "cis" isn't a slur, Shanklin writes. Unfortunately:
"some people have a hard time accepting and respecting that some humans are different from others. Those fantasizing (against all evidence and scientific consensus) that the heteronormative ideals they grew up with are absolute gospel sometimes take great offense at being asked to adjust their vocabulary to communicate respect for a community that has spent centuries forced to live in the shadows or risk their safety due to the widespread pathologization of their identities."
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