“cis” and “trans” are prefixes denoting on what “side” something is. “cis” means “on this/our side”, while “trans” refers to “the other side”, for example:

“Cisalpina” is how the Romans referred to their side of the Alps (modern day Italy), while “Transalpina” referred to land on the other side of the alps.
There exist certain pairs of molecules with either a “cis” or “trans” prefix, depending on whether certain identical groups are on the same side or on opposite sides, respectively.

The modern use of “cis” and “trans” is generally about gender. A cisgender person is someone whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth, while a transgender person is someone for whom that doesn’t hold true.

In this meme, the person on the right is wearing a transgender flag for a shirt, and presumably offending the cisgender person on the left by calling them cis. The meme is making fun of the fact that some cisgender people consider “cis” an insult, when it really only is a neutral and non-offensive description.

[–] IDew@lemm.ee 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for the clear explenation! Further comments say it's a pretty neutral identification, but to me it sounds like there's two sides of it and one is bad. I presume this feeling is incorrect?

[–] erin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 4 months ago

Yes. "Cis" is just a description, like "straight" or "white." Calling someone "cis" is not an insult, but some conservatives take it as such. The common phrase they echo is "I'm not cis, I'm normal." They're trying to denormalize trans people by making an inoffensive and common descriptor an insult. The same people sometimes have a problem with being called straight by queer people because they see themselves not as straight, but normal, and anything different is abnormal. In reality, "gay," "straight," "trans," and "cis" are no more abnormal descriptors than calling someone "black," "white," "American," or "tall." It's all just "othering" those they perceive as political opponents.

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It’s short for cisgender, which is basically the opposite of transgender. Cis and trans are both Latin prefixes, meaning ‘same side of’ and ‘opposite side of.’

[–] Drusas@kbin.run 1 points 4 months ago

Ohhhhh. I wish that were explained more. My only problem with the term "cis" is that it seemed to come from nowhere, a made-up term out of a random syllable that was suddenly being applied to people.

[–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 9 points 4 months ago

Like Inside as the outside. Do you feel like a man and were born male, do you feel like a woman and were born female? Then you are cis. It's the opposite of trans: inside not like the outside.

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