I've got no problem with cis-gender as a word; it seems to me the meaning is obvious to anyone who knows a little bit about human sexuality and latin prefixes, and anyone who doesn't know at least a little about those things is likely to need *any* term having to do with the subject explained. Trans-gender is "across the gender spectrum; (body one gender, self-image anoher)"-if that makes any sense at all (and I think it does) then cis-gender is "on the same side of the gender spectrum" (or "divide" if you prefer to think of it as a binary.)
English has a long history of pickpocketing other languages for spare vocabulary, so latin prefixes are perfectly appropriate for English words. Chemistry uses latin prefixes and that's fine, but it doesn't have them copyrighted.
I think gender is *far* more than reproduction--good grief; if I'm infertile, am I genderless?
I don't much care for "gender incoherent" as a term; it seems to me that it makes it sound like transgender people can't even talk. But if a majority of trans people start using it, I'm willing to reconsider my position.
I'm used to the accusation of "elitist" meaning "the previous speaker thinks she is better than other people because of some personal characteristic." I don't see how this could be applied to the term "cis-gender"--if anything it seems to me to be *less* elitist than having no term for the concept because it includes a recognition that being cis-gender is like being trans-gender: a characteristic rather than the only normal way to be. Unless the accusation means "the previous speaker thinks she is better than other people because she knows this specialized term" which is an accusation that can be directed against anyone who uses any new or unusual word. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what was meant?
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A lot of responses crammed together.
English has a long history of pickpocketing other languages for spare vocabulary, so latin prefixes are perfectly appropriate for English words. Chemistry uses latin prefixes and that's fine, but it doesn't have them copyrighted.
I think gender is *far* more than reproduction--good grief; if I'm infertile, am I genderless?
I don't much care for "gender incoherent" as a term; it seems to me that it makes it sound like transgender people can't even talk. But if a majority of trans people start using it, I'm willing to reconsider my position.
I'm used to the accusation of "elitist" meaning "the previous speaker thinks she is better than other people because of some personal characteristic." I don't see how this could be applied to the term "cis-gender"--if anything it seems to me to be *less* elitist than having no term for the concept because it includes a recognition that being cis-gender is like being trans-gender: a characteristic rather than the only normal way to be. Unless the accusation means "the previous speaker thinks she is better than other people because she knows this specialized term" which is an accusation that can be directed against anyone who uses any new or unusual word. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what was meant?