Billionaire Elon Musk has displayed a lack of understanding of gender-related terminology by falsely asserting that “cisgender” is a “heterosexual slur.” In a post made on Monday, October 30th, Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), incorrectly claimed that the term “cis” is derogatory and shamed those who use it.
Contrary to Musk’s assertion, the term “cisgender” is not a slur and is unrelated to heterosexuality. Cisgender is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as a term used to describe “a person whose gender matches the body they were born with.” It derives from the prefix “cis,” meaning “on this side of,” in contrast to the prefix “trans,” which means “across from” or “on the other side of.”
They think "cis" is a slur because they use "trans" as a slur
— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) October 30, 2023
In response to Musk’s erroneous statement, users on social media ridiculed the tech billionaire. Many users emphasized that the term has absolutely nothing to do with sexuality and questioned Musk’s understanding of it.
Media Matters journalist Ari Drennen suggested that Musk’s misconception might stem from misusing the term “trans” as a slur.
It’s worth noting that Musk has previously made similar claims about the term “cisgender,” though without the false connection to heterosexuality. In June, he responded to a social media post indicating that Twitter would categorize “cis” and “cisgender” as slurs under its hate speech and harassment policy.
In response to Musk’s claim, Amy Ashenden, the former interim director of comms for Just Like Us, expressed that the term “cisgender” is not a derogatory word and highlighted the importance of allowing individuals to use language that accurately describes their identity. Ashenden emphasized that language should empower people and provide options for expressing their experiences of the world, acknowledging that it is not a black-and-white matter.
