“Cis” itself doesn’t necessarily refer to a specific gender identity; rather, it describes an experience of and relationship to gender. For example, while “man” and “woman” are both gender identities, “cis” and “trans” indicate different experiences of those gender identities. For example, a trans man and a cis man are both men, but they likely have different experiences of how they came into manhood.
Where did the term “cisgender” come from?
In Latin, “cis” roughly translates to “on the same side as,” as opposed to “trans” which means “the opposite side of.” “Cis” and “trans” have both been used as prefixes, particularly in chemistry to describe the relationship between molecules in chemistry, referring to different atom placements.
It wasn’t until the early 1900s that German sexologist Ernst Burchard used “cisvestitismus” to refer to people who wore gender-normative clothing and “transvestitismus” to refer to people who cross-dressed, as Dr. Marquis Bey, a professor of African American Studies at Northwestern University, noted. This use of “cis” and “trans’ to speak about gender only developed further throughout the 20th century, as queer communities adopted this language to describe their experiences.
According to AHA Today (the American History Association’s blog), the term “cisgender” itself wasn’t coined until 1994, and was done so on Usenet, one of the early online hubs for trans community. The term’s popularity quickly spread through trans online spaces and worked its way in the analog world. In 2014, when trans media and representation had what Time Magazine called a “tipping point,” terms like “cis” and “nonbinary” began to enter the mainstream lexicon.
What does “cishet” mean?
“Cis” refers to gender experience whereas “het,” which is short for heterosexual, refers to sexuality. Not all cis people are het, as there are cisgender queer people. Not all het people are cis, as there are straight trans people. “Cishet” strictly refers to people who are both straight and cisgender.
Why do we need a term for that?
Words are important tools for describing the world around us and the different realities we all experience based on our identities. “Cisgender” is simply a word that allows people to describe their own experience of gender and, of course, it also has connotations of privilege and societal position. Particularly at a moment when trans youth are facing an onslaught of discriminatory legislation that targets their rights to healthcare and public existence, it’s important to acknowledge the privilege cis people hold in not being targeted for their gender experience.
