The Hrunting - Searching for oneself

nikkolles-better-sense:

CIS.

dont call me cis. i’m not your little word for me. i am simply not a trans person. thats it, i’m not trans. i’m not anything else beyond not being trans. i’m not cis.

i admit that i was very in the dark about this community, but not out of hate or ignorance, or unwillingness to participate, just from never knowing anyone with this types of issues before, never seing how it affects people. its not like homosexuality issues that i see more, and know how to react to more.

But when Laura Grace so boldly told the world of her troubling past and her future decisions, i instantaneously became part of this community overnight because of her importance in my life. 

so i started to educate myself about it, reading her story in rolling stone, doing some online research, finding other trans music artist, that type of thing. and something that came up between bickering am! fan over pronouns the phrase “die cis scum” came up one or two….or fifteen dozen times.

so i looked up the word, and then its history. i know who created it and what it was created for. and you know what? i dont like it. and that just the way i feel. i’ve seen it used positively a few times, (note that i havent been a part of that for that long) but mostly it just feel like something segregating. like the ‘n’ word. and i’m sorry, i cant change the way i feel about that. it just doesnt seem like a useful term to shed light, rather keep non trans people at bay.

so there, i just really had to say that. now cast your stones, i know its coming.

I’m with you on not wanting to be labeled, OP.
I’ve noticed that using Cis- (As opposed to cisgender or cis-ally) in situations without context gets people’s shorts in a knot.  One of those… leaves too much room for interpretation things.  Its a long post, so buckle up!  :3

Not everyone using the word intends to use it as an insult.  I think that’s where a lot of un-necessary grief comes from.  Some people do legitimately mean to use Cis- as short for Cisgender, not Cis scum.  When it comes to gender stuff, I’m learning that I have to add on that extra bit for clarification (especially in social media).  People coming across “Die cis scum” seem to (as far as I can tell) take cis- as the defining word, when ‘cis scum’ is really where the meat is.  Kinda in the way that not all Trans* people are Trans-trash, not all Cis- people are Cis scum.
(I’m pulling this out of my ass to make a comparison.  Not for the sake of demeaning any person but to save you all a trip to my inbox - I don’t want to juxtapose “not all trans* folk are transsexual” or similar with the relation between Cis & cis scum X.x No bueno in my books. )

With what you wrote, the fact that you’re working to learn about trans* stuff… That’s not -scumbaggery.  You admitted you were in the dark about things.  Isn’t that where we all start?  I want to make it really clear:  GOOD ON YOU for learning.   You said that Laura Grace is important to you - and clearly, your actions show it.  There’s so much flak about her coming out, probably a lot of disgruntled folks ending a good long time of fandom over her announcement.  Reading, learning, seeking out, respecting pronouns, admitting that you didn’t know a lot about it… regardless of what sort of bias element we’re talking about, these actions are - usually - ones of stepping away from being [insert title element given to oppressor] -scum.

As for the origin of the words ^^

Cis - originally (to differentiate it from its seemingly increasing use as a pejorative term.)- is a Latin word used in a few sciences.  By definition, it means “On the same side [as/of]” inferring that something is in alignment or congruent.

The word is most often used to provide contrast between two defining elements, usually in talking about alignment or non-/congruence.  Generally, when the contrast is redundant (when two/multiple things/groups aren’t being compared) the word is left out.  This is why its opposite (Trans - “Across, On the other side”.) is more commonly seen/read/heard.  

However because the word cis is persistently left out, it encourages the assumption that all things being described of a given type are cis-.

You mentioned seeing/hearing of Homosexuality more frequently.
While the impacts are different, its somewhat similar to the unspoken assumption of everyone/any one person being heterosexual.  While there is a strong chance that any one random person may be straight/heterosexual, its not guaranteed.

The use of cis- and trans- could also be compared to homo- and hetero-, really.  Homosexuality was taken out of the diagnostic guide for mental illness about … 43 years ago ish, if I recall correctly.  The word Heterosexual (and straight) was around long before then, but I imagine it became more common afterwards.
We use gay/straight or homo-/hetero- to emphasize that it is not gay/normal or homo-/normal, in the context that mental illness was (and is still often) seen as an abnormality or weakness. (while still acknowledging that heterosexuality is more frequent.)
Currently, “Gender Identity Disorder” (and previously “Gender Dysphoria”) are the big ones in the diagnostic manual.  While it does say in the very first line of the entry that GID/Gender Dysphoria is not pathological (caused by an illness), due to mental health stigma, it is often interpreted GID = in (what’s perceived as an) illness diagnostic book therefore GID = illness. GID = diagnosis of trans* people therefore trans* people = ill. ill = weak/abnormal/[other mental health stigma].
The word cis is seeing more use to enforce that it is not trans/normal, in the context of the above, especially with the growing push to take Gender Identity out of the book.

I’ve thrown the words “Well, you’re cis-.” around when my friends tell me they have no idea about something.  I’ve had to think a bit about those words.  Being sex-gender in-congruent, when I say this I usually mean  ”Your opinions/perceptions are that of a person who has experienced life being sex-gender congruent,” often paired with “this may be why we perceive this differently.” or “Maybe that’s why you’ve not noticed this/it/that/subject.”  Not “You’re wrong” or “Your experiences are wrong”, but “We might be understanding this differently.”

Now I can’t speak for everyone, but I feel its a clarity of communication issue, on both sides.  I can’t take the grief-ers’ reactions back for them, but I hope ye haven’t lost all faith in us!
Also, there’s probably gonna be a few people that’ll post about ‘Ally cookies’ and stuff.  Ignore ‘em.

I do agree that good deeds should not be so unusual that they need rewarding.  But I also know that without acknowledging what is done right/correctly/well/in benefit of oneself and others/etc., there’s little foundation for it to continue or repeat itself.

If only I could have explained it this thoroughly when mom came across “DCS”. ._.

Click to read about other uses of the word/prefix cis-

i-told-you-im-a-psycho:

Hey look, GNQ and his sad, pathetic, little friends are posting pictures of me and trying to tell everyone where I live.

GUESS WHAT.

I live in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. I’m not afraid to tell you that, and I honestly don’t care if you work your little Google…

Drag their way to our redneck little Canadian town.  Quite frankly, I’d love to watch it.  Knowing some of the folks where you live…

“Sorry for running you over, douchecanoe.”  The middle aged process engineer quips, removing their hard hat.  Steel toed boots crunching pine cones as the tall figure dismounts the ATV.  Gloved hand digging through worn blue overalls, they produce a pen and note pad.  After some short moment scribbling, a page falls to the grass in front of you with -presumably- some insurance information.  Sadly, it is filled with short hand and written in french.  ”Try not to start shit with my neighbor next time, eh?”

i-told-you-im-a-psycho:

bugbrennan:

thehrunting:

bugbrennan: 

Please play victim all you want, but if you are featured on Pretendbians, or if I out you, you have earned it by being a rapey, violent, abusive, entitled violent trans asshole.

I’m sorry… I thought you were a lawyer?
When was it that you became judge & jury? 

Stop being violent. It doesn’t take a law degree to see you people are out of control.

Hey, let’s channel gaynotqueer here and look at the dictionary:

violent

Pronunciation:/ˈvʌɪəl(ə)nt/

adjective

using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something: a violent confrontation with riot police

Well. I don’t see how the hell you could make the connection that a question like “When was it that you became judge & jury?” could possibly or even remotely be an act of violence. Seriously. Do you listen to yourself when you talk, or do you just try to use the most threatening words possible, even if they don’t make sense?

I’m a single person asking a question.  It doesn’t take a law degree to see you’re dodging it.

bugbrennan: 

I’m sorry… I thought you were a lawyer?
When was it that you became judge & jury?