It’s time for our series of posts here at Jessica Who?, titled “Word of the Week”. In these short articles, from here on out published each Friday, I will explore the various labels and umbrella terms used to label us. By doing this, I hope to educate not only myself, but also anyone who may not be familiar with these terms. Feel free to add your own knowledge to each post by leaving a comment 
. The label that we will be examining is: Cisgendered
Standard Definition
Here’s another word of the week that is not an entry in any official dictionary. However, I have a feeling that one day it may be.
Derogatory?
No.
What’s It Really Mean?
The term cisgender was coined by members of the TG community as a way to define persons who are not transgendered. So in essence, cisgendered is the complete opposite of transgender.
A cisgender is a person who is completely happy with their gender at birth. They have no desire to change their body, lifestyle or anything else to change their outward gender presentation.
Cis is a prefix that comes from Latin, meaning “on this side of” or “within”. This would suggest that cisgender could be defined as such: of, relating to, or being a person who identifies a gender identity within or on the same side of the person’s gender at birth.
My Take
I was not at all familiar with this word until recently when I saw it pop up on several blogs that I read frequently, which prompted me to seek out the meaning. I figured that I was just out of the loop but then I asked my wife and some other people if they knew what it meant and they didn’t, so I explained it.
Even though I’m not a huge fan of ‘labels’, I do appreciate that this word has come into existence because it makes things like gender studies and writing about gender issues a bit easier if nothing else.
Will it ever be used in common everyday language? That is to be seen.
Special thanks to Laika for suggesting this word .
Your Take
Have you anything to add? Please leave your take on this word in the comments section, I hope we can open up a dialogue and learn from each other while educating the masses.
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I’m enjoying your “word of the week” posts. Who knows, you may rewrite definitions that are added to Webster’s Dictionary!
This gives me an idea. I think I’m gonna do a blog post of my favorite words, words that sound funny just by saying them – like ‘Bamboozled’.
Chat soon!
Thanks, Corey
!
Your idea sounds great, can’t wait to see it
Where do I fit in? I think I am more cisgendered than transgendered.
Perhaps a closet crossdresser not motivated to go far “out”
I am content to stay this way. Am I too timid? I don’t think so.
In my first comment I said “am I too timid?”
I think too old might be more accurate.
At 87 my viewpoint is not the same as a 20, 30 or 50 year old.
There are certainly many people in your shoes, in terms of crossdressers who do not identify as transgenders. I applaud you for being true to yourself, Warren
Thank you for putting this out there for folks to read. I think “cisgender” should only be used as an adjective though, as in “a cisgender person”. In the same way, you would only use “transgender” as an adjective “a transgender person”. “Transgendered” in particular is offensive–a person can’t be transgendered.
Thanks!
It’s my pleasure, Katie. I am happy that you find it useful and thanks for your input
I think using the prefix cis, helps trans-gender people define themselves, by giving them a word to differentiate themselves from people who are content to live in their birth gender, but my guess is that if you used that word around a cis-gender person, they would probably cock their head and give you a funny look. They don’t need an adjective to describe themselves, and they would probably think it was kind of silly, and maybe even a tad offensive.
Melissa
Very true, when I called my wife “cisgendered” she was like “huh?”
I find it ironic (and sad) that the TG community, who is so against labels of any kind, would come up with a label for those outside the community.
Personally, I’ve never liked it and never use it. My spouse is not cisgendered .. she’s a woman .. something I will never be, regardless how I feel inside, how many surgeries I have and how much I pretend to be.
Just my thoughts, of course.
I can definitely see that argument and definitely agree with you to an extent as someone who despises “labels”.
I really appreciate you sharing your viewpoint, thanks Seleena
I find your word of the week educational. I enjoy learning about anything our community has to offer. I may never use the term but if I ever see it again at least Ill know what it means. I like to keep a positive attitude. Thank you.
Thanks Leslee! I started this series on a whim but am glad that it has become so popular. One of my main goals was to educate — not just others buy myself as well as this forces me to research a “TG” term each week.
Can’t stand the thing, myself.
A nitpick: You say “A cisgender is a person who is completely happy with their gender at birth. They have no desire to change their body, lifestyle or anything else to change their outward gender presentation.”
It’s too sweeping. You don’t know if they want to change their body!
While they might not want to change their gender presentation, a lot of people would like to lose weight (yeah, I’d like that), their nose, their breasts, their whatever! Many people would like to change their lifestyle, too. (I’d like a somewhat more affluent lifestyle, for example…) Like I said, nitpicking. But in this debate, such nitpicks are important.
I’ve been in the middle of some of the debates, okay – I’ve caused a few heads to explode. I can’t stand “cisgender”; it’s unnecessary, and it’s a label that can be used derogatorily . Using the TG- Style Guide (whatever that is), it shouldn’t be used. Because “tranny” was eradicated from the style guide as derogatory because some people used it, erm, derogatorily.
My main objection is that it is not precisely defined. It’s a colloquialism, and as such can take on whatever meaning a person fancies. A little too much Humpty-Dumpty for me! While a writer can say a word means what he or she intends it to mean, if we all ascribed to that, we’d never communicate! (Oh dear. That sounds awfully close to what happens now!)
Transgendered is reasonably precise in definition, although I often think it overly broad. It’s not offensive; it’s the English language: you can put “ed” onto an adjective if its required. It’s not to be encouraged with a word like “transgender”, but it’s within the bounds of the English language to do so. It is also perfectly reasonable to do so. Interestingly, one of the LGBT style guides out there says you can’t put “ed” onto adjectives. When I questioned the “owner” of that guide, they came up with silence and then demanded I reveal a bit of personal information before considering my pointing out their error.)
I fear “cisgender” will make it into the dictionaries; I just hope its offensive nature is noted.
Carolyn Ann
Oops. You can put “ed” onto some nouns, as well.
I forgot – for some people, not mentioning something is denying it its rights, pertinence, relevance or whatever it is they want to make issue of.
Transgender and transgendered are both adjectives; transgender is often mistaken for a noun, though.
Carolyn Ann