• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cade Hildreth

Everything You SHOULD'VE Been Taught in School.

MENUMENU
  • Blog
  • Real Estate
  • Finance
    • Investing
    • Increasing Income
    • Real Estate
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Gold and Silver
    • Financial Q&A
  • Health
    • Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Confidence
    • LGBTQ+
  • Podcast
    • "What You Should've Been Taught"
    • Audio Feed of the Website
    • Ask a Podcast Question
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • About Cade
    • Rugby Bio
    • Instagram
    • Contact
You are here: Home / LGBTQ+ / What Does It Mean to Identify as Cisgender?
What Does It Mean to Identify as Cisgender?

What Does It Mean to Identify as Cisgender?

March 8, 2020 By Cade Hildreth Leave a Comment

What does cigender mean and how did the term come about? If you’re asking this question, you’re not alone. The short answer is that a cisgender person is someone who identifies with the same gender that they were assigned at birth.

The term “cis” is a Latin prefix that means:

  • “On this side”

In contrast, “trans” is a Latin prefix that means:

  • “On the other side”

Outside of gender, I first learned of the term “cis” within the context of chemistry, where cis indicates that the functional groups are on the same side of the carbon chain while trans means the functional groups were on opposing sides of the carbon chain.

Rise of the Term Cisgender

With government officials, medical providers, and society at large recognizing the existence of a gender spectrum, terms such as cisgender and transgender have been on the rise.

The  graph below shows rates of Google Searches for the term “cisgender” from 2004 to present. Clearly, searches for this term have been on the rise over the past five years.

Google Searches for Term Cisgender

Meaning of the Term Cisgender

The term cisgender was first coined by the transgender movement in the 1990s. The prefix cis means “on the same side as.”

As explained above, a cisgender person is a person who identifies with the gender that they were assigned at birth.

Within this context, the word and meaning of cisgender is a clearly an important part of LGBTQ culture and terminology.

The Point of Cisgender

Before cis became utilized within the English language, people often used the label “non-transgender” to describe a person who was not transgender. Unfortunately, this wasn’t particularly clear, nor was it empowering.

Calling a person cisgender was thus adopted as a way to identify someone who is not transgender.

Sometimes, the terms assigned female at birth (AFAB) or assigned male at birth (AMAB) are also used to mean that a person was labelled as “biologically female” or was “born a female”.

Of course, sex assignment at birth is a very complex determination, because medical providers have historically based this decision on a single biological marker (external genitalia), when there are at least 10 biological markers that would be relevant to the decision and likely many more.

Biological markers of human sex include, but are not limited to: chromosomes, gonads (testis or ovaries), hormones, secondary sex characteristics, internal genitalia, external genitalia, gene gxpression, brain structure, skeletal structure, and personal identity.

To summarize: 

  • A person who was declared to be female at birth and who identifies as a female today would be considered a cisgender woman.
  • A person who was declared to be male at birth and who identifies as a male today would be considered a cisgender man.

Of course, people may also exist between these two identities, with examples including people who are intersex, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming (GNC), among many other possibilities.

The Etymology and History of Cisgender

In his two-part 1991 article, German sexologist Volkmar Sigusch first used the term cissexual to describe a person who identified with their original sex.

Trans means “on the other side of” while cis, as we previously stated, means “on the same side as.”

Simply using the labels man and woman were problematic in that it implies that a cis person is “normal” while a trans person is “not normal”.

People used to use the word gender-normative to describe a non-trans person but this obviously brings back the problem of suggesting that one type of person is normal while the other is abnormal.

The term cisgender grew in popularity after it was used in a 2006 article in the Journal of Lesbian Studies. Julie Serano, a biologist and transactivist, used the term in her popular 2007 book Whipping Girl. Serano also introduced the term cissexsim.

Cissexism (sometimes written cis-sexism) is an underlying assumption that a transgender person’s gender is less authentic, or inferior to, that of a cisgender person.

While some people believe that the identifier cisgender is merely an example of political correctness, there are medical scholars who use the term officially.

Definition of Cisgender

In 2013, cisgender was added to the Oxford English Dictionary and defined as “designating a person whose sense of personal identity corresponds to the sex and gender assigned to him or her at birth”.

The Merrium Webster Dictionary defines cisgender as “of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.”

Cisgender Definition

In February of 2014, Facebook started to offer Custom Gender Options, showing a more mainstream acceptance of these terms and ideas.

Interestingly, terms using the prefix “cis” represent 10 of Facebook’s gender options, as shown below:

  • Cis
  • Cisgender
  • Cis Female
  • Cis Male
  • Cis Man
  • Cis Woman
  • Cisgender Female
  • Cisgender Male
  • Cisgender Man
  • Cisgender Woman

The Answer to “What Does Cisgender Mean?”

I hope this article has provided you with a well-informed answer to the question, “What does cisgender mean?”

If you have additional thoughts or would like to contribute to this conversation, I’d encourage you to share your perspective in the comments below or drop a note here. We love to crowdsource global feedback and integrate your insights.

Are we connected yet on Instagram? If not, let’s make it happen so I can share in your life too!

5/5 - (1 vote)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn

Filed Under: LGBTQ+

Reader Interactions

Tell Us What You Think!Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

  • Instagram
  • X
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok

“As an entrepreneur, real estate investor, and former USA Rugby Player, I’ll teach you what your parents and teachers should’ve taught you, but didn’t know themselves.” -Cade Hildreth

Ready to stay in touch? Subscribe here.

Or, listen to Cade’s articles on the go as a Podcast.

If you’re feeling sadness or anger or despair, a If you’re feeling sadness or anger or despair, ask yourself this question… 

If this messages resonated with you, please leave a ❤️ below because it’ll help the message reach more people, including those who might really need it… 🙏

#lgbtqia #lgbtqcommunity #trans
A few moments and miracles to balance the chaos ri A few moments and miracles to balance the chaos right now… 🤍

Also, two questions: 

1. Did I discover what you expected underneath the bed covers? Lol

2. Have you ever seen a Lunar Halo? They  are stunning and rare and are caused by tiny ice particles that act as a prism… 🌖🌙
Reminder: What you see on the surface often isn’ Reminder: What you see on the surface often isn’t what is being felt underneath. 💔

Erin and I are smiling in this photo, but only a few times in my life have I been so devastated, so heartbroken, so utterly and emotionally broken. 

When this photo was taken, we had recently had to say goodbye to our dearest, move beloved baby, Percy, who we had raised since adopting him at birth. He was our cherished companion, a therapy dog, and our beloved friend. 

The last photo was taken on our very last walk ever with him. 🐾👣🥺

This post is a reminder to be gentle with each other, because this human experience is extremely painful … and we’re all in it together. 🐶🌎❤️
Someone needs to tell Elon Musk that his hair tran Someone needs to tell Elon Musk that his hair transplant, hormone replacement therapy (supplemental testosterone), and cosmetic surgery (jawline) are all examples of gender-affirming care. 😂

This is his BEFORE and AFTER. 

Feel free to congratulate him on his transition below... ⬇️ 🎉🙌

#trans #transgender #genderexpression #genderidentity #genderfluid #nonbinary #mtf #ftm #lgbtqia #lgbtqiaplus
A flower blossoms for its own joy. —Oscar Wilde A flower blossoms for its own joy. —Oscar Wilde

As we approach January 20th, I believe our most important armor is joy. 

No one can take this simple and pure pleasure away with any legislation…or opinion…or action. 

In honor of this, what is one thing that brings you joy?
An incredible summary of your geographic options i An incredible summary of your geographic options if you’re inclined to move now or in the future. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

It appreciate that it presents both domestic options, because some people will only need a minor state change to meet their needs while others may want greater change. 

Thanks @erininthemorning for compiling this and keeping our community informed!

Where are you currently living and do you feel safe with its (likely) protections and policies? 🌎

Let’s use our communal knowledge to help each other out… 🏡🩵

#lgbtqia #lgbtqiaplus #lgbtqcommunity #trans #nonbinary #transgender #queer
Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

Master List of Real Estate Syndicators for 2025

How to make 6-figures

How to Make Six-Figures: 6 Skills You Can Teach Yourself

Salary negotiation tips

Salary Negotiation: How to Ask for More Money the Right Way

How to Invest with Very Little Money

13 Ways to Invest When You Have Very Little Money

Categories

  • Confidence
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Exclude
  • Finance
  • Gender Series
  • Gold and Silver
  • Health
  • Increasing Income
  • Investing
  • LGBTQ+
  • Nutrition
  • Podcast
  • Real Estate

Ask a Podcast Question | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2019 · CADEHILDRETH.COM | PHONE: ‪(202) 660-4705‬  | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 301, STAFFORD, VA 22554, USA

 

*Disclaimer: Nothing on this site should be construed as medical, health, or financial advice. Before making any health decisions, you should consult with your doctor. Before making any financial decisions, you should consult with professional adviser, such as a financial planner or CPA.