People feel that "cis" is a slur because it puts them on equal footing with trans people.
They prefer to consider themselves "normal" while "trans" people the weird ones whom can only be labelled with anything other than "normal." Being called "cis" makes them feel as if they can also be labelled as something other than "normal."
Similarly, one cannot be "straight" without acknowledging existence of same-sex attraction, so people uncomfortable with that won't describe themselves and expect everyone to assume they're "normal". These people don't teach kids to say "they are straight", they prevent them from obtaining any knowledge about human sexuality at all to avoid even the possibility of admitting "exceptions" exist
As non-trans person, I can partially confirm. First time when I heard it, my reaction was "why do you need a new word for that?" Now I kind of used to it, but still there is some amusement each time I hear this word - it seems unnecessary, when "non-trans" would suffice if needed to avoid confusion. But slur? That's nonsense is only in Musk's head.
To be fair, "cis" comes from latin which means "on the same side of," in contrast to "trans" which means "on the other side of."
Why use that instead of non-trans? I don't know, but yeah, I don't think the word is a slur.
It's not an eiher/or. E.g. non-trans could also be non-binary. So cis is more specific and leads to more inclusive language and thinking.
English loves antonyms.
I think that, from the perspective of trans people, the word is deeply necessary. If we aren't even permitted to have a neutral descriptor that describes everyone else, how can we even find ways to talk about our lives? Would you expect gay folks to never use the word "straight" when talking to straight people? Black folks never to use the word "white" when talking to white people? When a marginalised group is not permitted even to assign a name to the dominant group... yeah, there's something very amiss. From our perspective, using weird circumlocutions like "non-trans" really isn't okay. It becomes a tacit way to assert that there are "normal (non trans) people" and "abnormal (trans) peole". The reason why we push for "cis and trans" as the terminology is that it's... well, it's basic fairness?
You can always use the word "non-trans" if needed. But insisting that all others (who are like what? 98% of people?) have to have a special word for this is strange. It is like insisting that non-albino should be a special word.
And importantly, asking for some kind of special status for cis people so that it requires a special word, as if it is important and fundamental to split people into these too groups, as oppose to being trans is just one of the many features of human being, somewhat rare, but not something to be so important that not being trans must have a separate word. By insisting to have a separate word you are moving away from acceptance of trans people.
And while I do understand that in today's society with many bigots it is sometimes difficult and important process of "coming out" and admitted that you are a trans, thus, indeed, for a trans person, today, it might be the most important thing in their lives, their identity. But in ideal society it just should not be so. So what that one person is trans, and another is albino, and yet another is red-hiared? Nobody should think twice about these variations of humans. I mentioned. I want to move towards ideal society, not away from it.
There's something very peculiar about arguing that trans people should not be permitted to have a word to name people who aren't trans, at a time that governments all over the world are attempting to eliminate us. So I'm done here.
People feel that "cis" is a slur because it puts them on equal footing with trans people.
They prefer to consider themselves "normal" while "trans" people the weird ones whom can only be labelled with anything other than "normal." Being called "cis" makes them feel as if they can also be labelled as something other than "normal."
Similarly, one cannot be "straight" without acknowledging existence of same-sex attraction, so people uncomfortable with that won't describe themselves and expect everyone to assume they're "normal". These people don't teach kids to say "they are straight", they prevent them from obtaining any knowledge about human sexuality at all to avoid even the possibility of admitting "exceptions" exist
As non-trans person, I can partially confirm. First time when I heard it, my reaction was "why do you need a new word for that?" Now I kind of used to it, but still there is some amusement each time I hear this word - it seems unnecessary, when "non-trans" would suffice if needed to avoid confusion. But slur? That's nonsense is only in Musk's head.
To be fair, "cis" comes from latin which means "on the same side of," in contrast to "trans" which means "on the other side of."
Why use that instead of non-trans? I don't know, but yeah, I don't think the word is a slur.
It's not an eiher/or. E.g. non-trans could also be non-binary. So cis is more specific and leads to more inclusive language and thinking.
English loves antonyms.
I think that, from the perspective of trans people, the word is deeply necessary. If we aren't even permitted to have a neutral descriptor that describes everyone else, how can we even find ways to talk about our lives? Would you expect gay folks to never use the word "straight" when talking to straight people? Black folks never to use the word "white" when talking to white people? When a marginalised group is not permitted even to assign a name to the dominant group... yeah, there's something very amiss. From our perspective, using weird circumlocutions like "non-trans" really isn't okay. It becomes a tacit way to assert that there are "normal (non trans) people" and "abnormal (trans) peole". The reason why we push for "cis and trans" as the terminology is that it's... well, it's basic fairness?
You can always use the word "non-trans" if needed. But insisting that all others (who are like what? 98% of people?) have to have a special word for this is strange. It is like insisting that non-albino should be a special word.
And importantly, asking for some kind of special status for cis people so that it requires a special word, as if it is important and fundamental to split people into these too groups, as oppose to being trans is just one of the many features of human being, somewhat rare, but not something to be so important that not being trans must have a separate word. By insisting to have a separate word you are moving away from acceptance of trans people.
And while I do understand that in today's society with many bigots it is sometimes difficult and important process of "coming out" and admitted that you are a trans, thus, indeed, for a trans person, today, it might be the most important thing in their lives, their identity. But in ideal society it just should not be so. So what that one person is trans, and another is albino, and yet another is red-hiared? Nobody should think twice about these variations of humans. I mentioned. I want to move towards ideal society, not away from it.
There's something very peculiar about arguing that trans people should not be permitted to have a word to name people who aren't trans, at a time that governments all over the world are attempting to eliminate us. So I'm done here.