The word cis [possibly controversial]
Sep. 8th, 2009 10:50 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
aumentou.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
transI should probably introduce myself first. Hello, I'm Aumentou, and I don't want to give out my real name right now. I'm MtF, at the start of the transition, late twenties, and live geographically almost smack in the centre of the UK (or in the north, if you're English).
I was recently on a completely different site with a different focus, and there started being a bit of a rush of trans related threads, and the word cis came up, along with the questions "What does it mean?" and "Why should we use it?", The first I could help with, the second I wasn't so good at.
I first came across the term on LJ a few months back. I was looking at a trans community, saw the word, went "what?" rather blearily, then thought "hang on, doesn't chemistry have cis and trans molecules?" which combined with the trans context lead me to the correct conclusion. At the time I just went with it because all fields have terminology and as long as it's clearly defined it's of some value. Since then I have had some time to think... and I don't like it. I have the following objections:
1) Hardly anybody knows what it means. It's not very useful using a term if every time I use it (outside of trans-specific communities) I have to explain it.
2) It's not intuitive. Even in a trans context it only makes sense if you've studied either latin or A-level chemistry. If I instead said "non-trans" I would get the point across in an easily understandable fashion.
3) It sounds a bit like an insult. Sissy is pejorative. Cis sounds like sissy. Life is easier and conversation runs more smoothly if you don't have to explain that the thing you just said was not an insult, to people who think they've just been insulted - especially when dealing with large angry men.
4) It's a label being applied to one group by another group. Okay, there are more of them so it's better than them labelling us, but it's still someone labelling someone else and that usually causes trouble.
So to sum up, I've decided that I don't like the term, and I have determined that - based purely on my own logic - I would use "non-trans" instead.
However, I'm often reminded that my own logic is fallible and sometimes incomplete, so I thought I'd better ask: What is the rationale for using "cis"? Are there reasons why it's better than "non-trans" (other than being quicker to type)?
Thanks,
A.
I was recently on a completely different site with a different focus, and there started being a bit of a rush of trans related threads, and the word cis came up, along with the questions "What does it mean?" and "Why should we use it?", The first I could help with, the second I wasn't so good at.
I first came across the term on LJ a few months back. I was looking at a trans community, saw the word, went "what?" rather blearily, then thought "hang on, doesn't chemistry have cis and trans molecules?" which combined with the trans context lead me to the correct conclusion. At the time I just went with it because all fields have terminology and as long as it's clearly defined it's of some value. Since then I have had some time to think... and I don't like it. I have the following objections:
1) Hardly anybody knows what it means. It's not very useful using a term if every time I use it (outside of trans-specific communities) I have to explain it.
2) It's not intuitive. Even in a trans context it only makes sense if you've studied either latin or A-level chemistry. If I instead said "non-trans" I would get the point across in an easily understandable fashion.
3) It sounds a bit like an insult. Sissy is pejorative. Cis sounds like sissy. Life is easier and conversation runs more smoothly if you don't have to explain that the thing you just said was not an insult, to people who think they've just been insulted - especially when dealing with large angry men.
4) It's a label being applied to one group by another group. Okay, there are more of them so it's better than them labelling us, but it's still someone labelling someone else and that usually causes trouble.
So to sum up, I've decided that I don't like the term, and I have determined that - based purely on my own logic - I would use "non-trans" instead.
However, I'm often reminded that my own logic is fallible and sometimes incomplete, so I thought I'd better ask: What is the rationale for using "cis"? Are there reasons why it's better than "non-trans" (other than being quicker to type)?
Thanks,
A.