Cisgender, Non-Trans, and 'Other' Language

June 10, 2010 by Matt Kailey

http://tranifesto.com/2010/06/10/cisgender-non-trans-and-other-language/

I was at a meeting recently with four trans men and one trans woman, and I posed this fascinating question: Do you use "cisgender" to refer to non-trans people?

The men, who ranged in age from late 20s to early 40s, all said no. They all use non-trans. One of the younger guys said, "I like the distinction, with 'trans' being the central concept." The woman, who was probably in her 40s, said, "I've never heard of that word (cisgender) before."

There are so many factors that go into language in general, and I think the same is true with "trans vocabulary." Region, culture, age, community, and exposure to new and better terms — these all figure into what language a person uses to refer to a concept.