Is cishet a slur or just slang?

[perrystephens]

I keep seeing the word and I tried Googling it and got contradictory answers...

[Ms Grace]

It means cis gender heterosexual, yes it is slang but like a lot of slang it can be used as an insult.

[stephaniec]

seems like YMMV to me

[Mark3]

Since CISgender people don't like CIS or other labels, probably everything will be taken as a slur..

[jamesdoran]

IMO, a slur is something usually used against people who are systemically disadvantaged. I don't believe someone with as much privilege as a straight, cis person can compare "cishet" to the real slurs that POC and LGBT people have to deal with.

[Jennygirl]

I tend to agree.

It does have that ring-zing to it that a slur normally has. That's why I will be watching this thread with some moderate caution.. As well I'll never be calling anyone this IRL- nu uh! "Person" is always a winner

[Jill F]

Cisgender heterosexual is just a mouthful, isn't it?

[Jaime R D]

Cisgender heterosexual is just a mouthful, isn't it?

We could always just say "those people," couldn't we? 

[Edge]

It's just short for cisgender heterosexual. If I wanted to insult a cis, het person, I'd call them something actually insulting.

[suzifrommd]

"Breeder" has taken hold in certain dark corners of the gay community. Cishet is infinitely preferable.

[littleredrobinhood]

IMO, a slur is something usually used against people who are systemically disadvantaged. I don't believe someone with as much privilege as a straight, cis person can compare "cishet" to the real slurs that POC and LGBT people have to deal with.

Agreed.

Even if it were an insult (which it's not - like Edge said, it's merely short for cisgender heterosexual), it wouldn't hold the same power.

The people who think it's an insult is because the only people who really use the term are trans people, and is usually used in a sarcastic manner to point out how "cishets" treat trans people.

You'll even see some people straight up saying "I hate cishets", but it's akin to a woman saying "I hate men" -- it's not to be taken literally. They're just frustrated due to how they - and other trans people - are treated by "cishets" and are letting off steam.

[Gothic Dandy]

I didn't think cishet was a slur. I thought it was just an internet thing, since we shorten/abbreviate everything on the internet.

I used to think cisgender was an insult because of the way transgender people used it. But I think part of my aversion to the term "cis" was knowing that it didn't describe me without yet realizing why, lol.

I think if more people used these terms in everyday language, rather than using them to express bitterness, they would become more accepted by the general public. No cis person identifies as "cis", though. It's just a term we use because it's easier than saying "non-trans non-intersex". People don't like being labeled by other people, even if there is no bitterness attached.

[Miss_Bungle1991]

The poll needs a third option: "Or is totally stupid?"

I hate this internet abbreviation culture crap.

[Rachelicious]

As well I'll never be calling anyone this IRL- nu uh! "Person" is always a winner

Exactly. Insults have to actually offend the person to work. Plus, why use an insult like cishet that, if anything, is kind of self-outing?

We really do need better pejoratives, but I think cishet very much is niche slang, if anything.

[mythy]

it's slang because it's a word used by a marginalized group to describe the majority. It doesn't have the same connotations as say "faggot" because cisgender heterosexuals will never face the same struggles that we face as a result of being trans.

It is also just a descriptor like calling someone straight.

[Carrie Liz]

Yeah... it's not in its original intention a slur. It's just a combination of the words "cisgender" and "heterosexual."

The thing is, though, I've NEVER heard it used in any context but as a slur. The only time I ever seem to hear that word is when a trans person is complaining about how a cis person insulted them or otherwise showed complete ignorance. There's always anger behind that word every time I see it used, where they're calling them a "cishet" as a means of demeaning them for their lack of understanding.

[Ms Grace]

I think this thread has probably run its course...