Cisgender Meaning: All About Gender Identities

The definition of cisgender is gender that corresponds to the one assigned at birth. For example, someone born with a penis with the gender assignment of male at birth who identifies as a man is cisgender. The prefix “cis” has its etymology roots in Latin: cis means “on this side of.” Cisgender people, or cis for short, have easier access to health care and greater safety in public spaces than people who do not identify with their gender assignment.

Cisgender means identifying with your assigned sex and gender. Transgender or trans people do not identify with their assigned gender roles, so they might shift their gender pronouns or dress in a certain way to reflect their preferred gender expression. Some transgender people might undergo gender affirmation surgery. Trans people might also identify as nonbinary or genderqueer if they do not feel they fit into the gender binary, which cis people usually do.

Trans and gender-diverse people experience greater gender inequality, social inequality, and rates of discrimination in comparison to cisgender people. It is important to note transgender terminology and trans-affirming language is constantly evolving.

Cisgender is a gender identity, whereas straight is a sexual orientation. For example, a cis woman attracted to cis men is straight or heterosexual. A cisgender woman attracted to transgender men is also straight because that transgender man identifies as male. People can be straight and trans but not cis and trans because cis and trans refer to gender, while straight refers to sexual attraction.

Trans people, including genderqueer and gender-nonconforming people, can be straight and part of the LGBT community. The LGB stands for lesbian women, gay men, and bisexual people and refers to sexual orientation, and the T stands for transgender, including trans and gender-fluid people. People sometimes elongate the acronym to LGBTQIA+, in which the Q stands for queer, the I stands for intersex, and the A stands for asexual. The plus sign acknowledges there are people who do not identify with one of the letters already present.

Cis people will experience greater ease and privileges. Most societies treat cisgender identity as the norm and otherize transgender identity. Some examples of cis benefits include:

1. 1. Easier access to health care: Many transgender people do not have access to health insurance that will confirm their gender identity, so in many cases, their cost of living is higher.
2. 2. Greater representation: Cis people have greater representation in positions of power and the media, normalizing their existence while trans people lack media representation.
3. 3. No gender dysphoria: Cis people will not experience the gender dysphoria trans people might as they try to discover and enact their gender expression in a world where doing so can mean you have a higher chance of enduring hate crimes.

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