Elon Musk Says "Cisgender" Is Considered A Slur On Twitter And People Highlight The Creepy Origin Of The Term

Our society is always coming up with new terms to describe some new phenomenon under the umbrella of gender identity. First it was non-binary, then they/them pronouns, and now we've ended up with terms like "gynosexual." The word "cisgender" has been used widely in the last few years as a key concept in supposedly understanding the complexity of gender identities. It's meant to refer to people who identify with the gender they were "assigned" at birth. The language used to describe the meaning of "cisgender" is rooted in progressive politics and thus can sound confusing to many people who grew up believing the simple fact that there are men and women. The word "cisgender" is predicated on the false idea that people's gender is "assigned" at birth, rather than observed through the baby's genitalia and chromosomes. There are now many people fighting back against the term "cisgender" and refusing to use it because of its origins and the meaning behind it.

Elon Musk Says "Cis" and "Cisgender" Are Considered Slurs on Twitter That Won't Be Tolerated

Commentator James Esses declared on Twitter that he doesn't identify as "cis" and doesn't believe in gender ideology. "Using this term makes me feel unsafe and is demonstrative of your hatred towards me," he tweeted. "Anyone who uses the term 'cis' to describe me is a bigot." The tweet go more than 14,000 likes and thousands of comments and retweets. Many people agreed and pointed out the hypocrisy: a trans person will get furious if you don't call them by the terms and pronouns that they demand, but they won't pay the same respect to people who request that they be referred to with certain words.

James tweeted again the next day and said he received many messages from trans activists calling him "cissy" and telling him he's "cis" whether he likes it or not. "Imagine if the roles were reversed," he said. That's when Elon Musk, Tesla founder and Twitter owner, chimed in.

"Repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions. The words 'cis' or 'cisgender' are considered slurs on this platform," he responded to James. The tweet went viral and was liked more than 187,000 times.

A lively conversation ensued about the origins of the term "cisgender," and many people gave more context about why they refuse to use the word. The term "cisgender"—a word that has now become a cornerstone in our understanding of gender identities—first emerged in academic discussions in the 1990s, coined by German sexologist Volkmar Sigusch. In a 1991 publication titled "Transsexuals and our Nosomorphic View," Sigusch introduced the terms "cisgender" and "cissexual," arguing their necessity in light of the recognized existence of transsexual individuals.

However, Sigusch's views on sexuality extend far beyond this often-cited contribution. Alongside his colleague Gunter Schmidt, Sigusch conducted research on child sexuality in the '70s that was contentious, to say the least. They argued for the harmlessness of exposing children to pornography, a viewpoint heavily criticized as it aligns with known grooming tactics used by pedophiles.

This perspective was, regrettably, not isolated during this period. German sexologists of the late 1960s and 1970s increasingly viewed child-adult sexual relationships as progressive rather than abusive. This led to a push for the decriminalization of sexual activity with children below the age of 14, even reaching the level of advocacy within Germany’s Green Party.

It is important to consider the origin of the term "cisgender" in the context of Sigusch's broader and often controversial work. Understanding this history allows for a more accurate response to the evolving terminology that emerges from the LGBT community. Many people are entirely uncomfortable with the origins of "cisgender" and the fact that it is based on the idea that gender can be "assigned," not observed.

J.K. Rowling also added to the conversation, identifying the term as "ideological language" that perpetuates a belief "in the unfalsifiable concept of gender identity."

"You have a perfect right to believe in unprovable essences that may or may not match the sexed body, but the rest of us have a right to disagree, and to refuse to adopt your jargon," she concludes.

Many people are excited to see both Rowling and Musk jump into this very important conversation. It shows that the needle is moving in our culture, even if ever so slightly. Unfortunately, we know there are many more celebrities and public figures who agree with them, but they are just too frightened to speak up for fear of being canceled or highly criticized by the LGBT mob. We can just hope that the cultural shift continues and more people start speaking up.

Evie deserves to be heard. Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.