Biological sex and gender identity: differences and overlaps

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by PhilsFan

Is this concept of cisgender a new one? Because this Facebook thing is the first I've heard of it.

i heard about cisgender just a few weeks ago, like i wasn't aware of it as a term as recently as 2013, and i've had some exposure and experience with transgendered individuals.

anyone who's ever met someone brave enough to live out the gender they identify with when it's opposite the one they were given at birth is incredibly brave and deserving of empathy and support. it's an incredibly difficult thing -- can you imagine growing up and feeling incredible discomfort not with how your own body looks (as we all do) but with what it actually is? to think that anyone takes it lightly is insulting.

trans individuals have a journey much harder than that of gay folk, and i can't pretend to know their struggle, not just with themselves, but because of how acceptable it is to ridicule them and how often they are targets of violence, not just by men but by women as well.

[Galeongirl]

Here I thought cisgender was a pun, seeing as in Chemistry you have Cis and Trans configurations of molecules.

[jeevey]

Could be--I don't know what the origin of the term is!

[bono_212]

Originally Posted by LuckyNumber7

I imagine they did a massive study just to make sure not to step on any toes by including every last desired gender title but one.

Which one?

[LuckyNumber7]

Originally Posted by bono_212

Which one?

None in particular, just referring to whatever label anyone might feel they've never heard of.

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by jeevey

No, it's a common term in gender theory circles. It means, people who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth. It's an effort to normalize people who wear all these other identities by pointing out that the most common gender identification model is in fact an identification model, not a natural state, and refusing to call it the 'normal' one.

That says it all. Normal is now a pejorative in "gender theory circles." Normal is "just an identification model." Normal is not inclusive you see.

Now some of us are more than satisfied with the two biological sexes and think this all the nonsensical theories of gender studies post-grad dissertations*. An early April Fools joke. But alas, as I said, this is our future. The next civil right. The Left needs a new supply of victims to illustrate the inherent bigotry of America. The Left needs to remove the Adam and Eve notion of the sexes from the conversation.

* Which is not to say there isn't a very, very small percentage of the population that truly struggles with this and deserves empathy, counseling and reassignment surgery or hormone therapy when warranted. This can be done on a personal level however.

[PhilsFan]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Now some of us are more than satisfied with the two biological sexes and think this all the nonsensical theories of gender studies post-grad dissertations*. An early April Fools joke. But alas, as I said, this is our future. The next civil right. The Left needs a new supply of victims to illustrate the inherent bigotry of America. The Left needs to remove the Adam and Eve notion of the sexes from the conversation.

This is some "Bush did 9/11" YouTube comment type shit.

[trojanchick99]

Originally Posted by Galeongirl

Here I thought cisgender was a pun, seeing as in Chemistry you have Cis and Trans configurations of molecules.

Cis is a Latin prefix meaning this side of, where trans means the other side or across. Trans meaning you identify as a different gender than the sex you were born As and cis the same. So yeah it's a similar idea to cis and trans in chemistry.

I work at a university, not in academia, so I've been familiar with the terms for a while. Also, this is obviously not the correct thread to discuss sex versus gender.

[bono_212]

I'm sorry to continue the discussion, but I'm just more confused now. What's the difference between identifying as Male and identifying as Cismale?

[trojanchick99]

Originally Posted by bono_212

I'm sorry to continue the discussion, but I'm just more confused now. What's the difference between identifying as Male and identifying as Cismale?

Its more specific, signifying that you were born male and identify male. If you identify transman or trans male, you were born female and identify male.

[Diemen]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Which is not to say there isn't a very, very small percentage of the population that truly struggles with this and deserves empathy, counseling and reassignment surgery or hormone therapy when warranted. This can be done on a personal level however.

I'm curious what the distinction is between the personal level and a broader level that allows one to publicly decry as a larger group individuals who you would empathize with one on one.

[LemonMelon]

Originally Posted by martha

I also can't believe that anyone's gender identity choice on freaking Facebook is a sign of the end of the world.

It's always the one you least suspect.

[jeevey]

Indy, your ignorance and rudeness is astonishing.

[cobl04]

^ truth.

I actually did not know what those cis- prefixes meant. I'm sorry but I'm going to go ahead and say that's a load of shit. You do not need to put a prefix in front of your gender if you identify with that gender and were born that gender. I find that pretty pretentious. I was born male, and I identify as male, so I am male.

[LuckyNumber7]

Originally Posted by cobl04

^ truth.

I actually did not know what those cis- prefixes meant. I'm sorry but I'm going to go ahead and say that's a load of shit. You do not need to put a prefix in front of your gender if you identify with that gender and were born that gender. I find that pretty pretentious. I was born male, and I identify as male, so I am male.

I think the point of cisgender is to compliment transgender. Yeah, it may seem pretentious on first thought, but I think those who choose to identify as it do so entirely aware that it is the same thing as "male/female" and choose to remove those terms of gender in place for a "gender identity" instead.

[cobl04]

but it still has the words male and female in them. cismale, cisfemale.

[LuckyNumber7]

Originally Posted by cobl04

but it still has the words male and female in them. cismale, cisfemale.

I'm aware. I'm saying instead of [male, female] it is [cisgender, transgender] or [cismale, cisfemale, transmale, transfemale].

I don't think anyone identifies as cisgender in order to be pretentious or to stand out, but rather to draw attention to something that is otherwise considered abnormal or taboo.

[PhilsFan]

They're not asking you to change you driver's license. I think Facebook's point here (which they're allowed to do because HEY INDY THEY ARE A PRIVATE COMPANY!!!!!!! FREE FUCKING ENTERPRISE YEAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!) is to bring awareness to trans* issues, which seems noble enough.

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by BEAL

Before this Facebook change, I was fairly certain who I was/am.

You had the advance of being raised in a 2 box world. The next generation will bathe in the indoctrinating amniotic fluid of 50 (and counting) genders to emerge somewhat less certain than you or I.

Now it's apparent gender is a choice.

That's right, what sex you are attracted to is determined before birth but your actual sex is subjective and can change as often as the weather. Welcome to the brave new world.

[PhilsFan]

You're exactly right. Now that people have choices on how to self-identify on Facebook, I suddenly have lost all confidence on who I am as a person. Yup. That happened.

CONSEQUENCES!