Cisgender, often shortened to Cis, is a gender modality that describes an individual whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.[1][2] This means that if someone's assigned sex is male, and the individual continues identifying as a man, they are cisgender.[3] This is typically used to describe binary men and women.[4]
One who is cisgender often conforms to gender expectations, however that is not the case for everyone. Some cisgender individuals may be gender non-conforming in some way.[3]
Much like the word transgender, cisgender is not a noun. Just as someone shouldn't write out smartwoman or tallwoman, one shouldn't write transwoman or ciswoman, instead it is written out as cis woman.[4]
Etymology
The prefix cis- means "on the other side," while the prefix trans- means "on the other side." This is where both the cis- and trans- prefixes come from.[2] These prefixes are often used in chemistry as well to represent the arrangement of molecules and ions that have the same formula, but different structures.[4]
History
Cisgender was coined in the 1990s through academic journal articles, but it gained broader popularity in 2007 when Julia Serano discussed it in her book, Whipping Girl.[5]
Flags & Symbols
The greyscale cisgender flag was uploaded onto the DeviantArt account flagsforcishets on August 4, 2016.[6]
Community
Controversy
There have been criticisms about the word "cisgender" since it gained popularity. Some believe that the word could be counter-intuitive for the acceptance and normalization of transgender individuals. Others say that the term does not account for intersex individuals, as it could imply that there are only two gender identities linked to only two sexes.[5]
Subterms
| Label | Flag | Description | Coiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisfeminine |  [7]
|
Identifying with a gender that is feminine that corresponds to one's AGAB. | Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags[7] |
| Cisgenderless |  [8]
|
Identifying with one's AGAB while also feeling a disconnect from gender altogether. | ixi[8] |
| Cismasculine |  [9]
|
Identifying with a gender that is masculine that corresponds to one's AGAB. | Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags[9] |
Genders
| Gender | Flag | Description | Coiner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cis Man |  [10]
|
An individual who identifies as a man or with a man-aligned gender that corresponds with one's AGAB. | stardusted-queerness[10] |
| Cis Woman |  [10]
|
An individual who identifies as a woman or with a a woman-aligned gender that corresponds with one's AGAB. | stardusted-queerness[10] |
| Cis Non-Binary |  [11]
|
An individual who identifies as a non-binary gender that corresponds with one's AGAB. | mogaimind[11] |
Related terms
| Label | Relationship | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cissexual | Similar | When one's current or desired sex traits match their natural sex characteristics. |
| Cisn't | Opposite | Anyone who is not cisgender. |
| Transn't | Similar | Anyone who is not transgender. |
| Transgender | Counterpart | Identifying with a gender that does not match one's AGAB. |
Alternative Flags
-
![Cisgender (3scapethevoid)[12]](//static.wikitide.net/lgbtqidentitywiki/thumb/b/b6/Cisgender_2.png/120px-Cisgender_2.png)
Cisgender (3scapethevoid)[12]
![Cisgender (3scapethevoid)[12]](/wiki/File:Cisgender_2.png)
Sources
- ↑ “What Do Transgender and Cisgender Mean?” Www.plannedparenthood.org, www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/teens/all-about-sex-gender-and-gender-identity/what-do-transgender-and-cisgender-mean.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Worth, Tammy. “What Is Cisgender?” WebMD, www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/cisgender-overview.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Zambon, Veronica. “What Does Cisgender Mean? Definition and More.” Www.medicalnewstoday.com, 28 Jan. 2021, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-does-cisgender-mean.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 “What Does Cis Mean?” TransHub, www.transhub.org.au/101/cis.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 McIntyre, Joanna. “Explainer: What Does It Mean to Be “Cisgender”?” The Conversation, 18 Sept. 2018, theconversation.com/explainer-what-does-it-mean-to-be-cisgender-103159.
- ↑ flagsforcishets. “Cisgender Pride Flag [2] by FlagsforCisHets on DeviantArt.” Deviantart.com, DeviantArt, 4 Aug. 2016, www.deviantart.com/flagsforcishets/art/Cisgender-pride-flag-2-625974644. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Beyond MOGAI Pride Flags. “Cisfeminine Flag.” Tumblr, 5 Oct. 2022, beyond-mogai-pride-flags.tumblr.com/post/697323987069550592/cisfeminine-flag.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Blue Ice-Tea. ““Cis by Default”, “Cis-Genderless”, and “Gender Detachment”: Three Terms You’ll Hopefully Be Hearing More Of.” Ace Film Reviews, 24 June 2024, acefilmreviews.wordpress.com/2024/06/24/cis-by-default-cis-genderless-and-gender-detachment-three-terms-youll-hopefully-be-hearing-more-of/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 ---. “Cismasculine Flag.” Tumblr, 5 Oct. 2022, beyond-mogai-pride-flags.tumblr.com/post/697324261241700352/cismasculine-flag.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 stardusted-queerness. “Nico Le Freak.” Tumblr, 15 July 2023, www.tumblr.com/stardusted-queerness/722954454796812288/i-made-this-flags-for-cis-boy-and-cis-girl-after.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 mogaimind. “Blocked.” Tumblr.com, 2025, lgbtqiarchive.tumblr.com/post/681806198999269378/cis-nonbinary-flag. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
- ↑ 3scapethevoid. “The Cisgender Flag/S?” Tumblr, 2 July 2023, 3scapethevoid.tumblr.com/post/721721807421538304/the-cisgender-flags. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.