Privilege is a very popular buzzword, not to mention a very complex and broad one. Chances are you’ve heard articles on the internet, or even your friends, talk about white privilege (what I prefer to call white-presenting privilege) and — my favorite — the saying “check your privilege,” often told to groups who are so blissfully unaware of the benefits they face in every-day society. Speaking of those benefits, now’s a good time for all us cis-gendered people to check our privileges.
What is cis-gender, you ask? Chances are if you’re asking, you are probably cis-gender. The cis- (pronounced sis or siz) suffix means more or less “on the same side of” in Latin. It’s the antonym of the prefix trans- which we are more familiar with, not only with transgender, but also transportation or transcontinental. Trans-, as you probably have now guessed means “opposite side of.”
So again, What is cis-gender?? It’s a term used to describe people who identify with the gender they were assigned with at birth. They are on that same side of their gender and don’t plan to make a transition. We can get into nitty gritty and call cis-gender privilege “cis-gender presenting privilege” which would encompass all those who are i. Cis-gendered but also ii. Those who are trans- and look so much like the other gender that their physical appearance doesn’t raise flags or questions when presenting in every day society.
Confusing, I know, but it’s also pretty simple if you take a step back and think about it.
Now why is it important? There are privileges people who are cis-gendered benefit from every single day, and disadvantages people who are trans face multiple times in the same day, probably even in the same hour. There are things trans people have to consider who cis people never have to think about, like the following.
Cis- Privilege Is Never Thinking About The Next Safe Bathroom
There’s a really profound, and honestly pretty strange, social norm that says it is absolutely unacceptable for Men to use a Women’s restroom, and vice versa. When you think about it, though, it probably shouldn’t be that big of a deal, given you don’t really see anything anyway, but this social norm makes it very dangerous for trans people to use restrooms sometimes. Day after day, trans people are bullied out of restrooms, often times by cis-women who just don’t understand. There are even multiple reports of physical violence against trans people in bathrooms. And this privilege goes for changing rooms, locker rooms, and every other space that’s gendered in society too.
Cis- Privilege Is The Ability to Go Anywhere Without Fear of Harassment
Just like how cis- people can use more or less any bathroom available, they have the ability to be anywhere in public without fear of being harassed, with a few exceptions like time of day and dangerous area. Trans- people, however, are constantly enduring comments, stares, and acts of aggression, sometimes subtle like being bumped into, and, unfortunately, more intense too like being beaten. Even the workplace isn’t always a safe place either. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, 90% of respondents in a survey said they experienced discrimination in the workplace.
That’s not to say cis-gendered people don’t face discrimination in the workplace too. It happens. It’s just not usually at 90% because of their identity.
If stories and experiences don’t alarm you that trans discrimination is an issue, hopefully 90% will.
Cis- Privilege Is The Power to be Judged by Your Character, Not Your Identity
Trans- people are constantly defined by their transition. They’re known as that “queer” friend or the transgendered friend or the person who has struggled so much. They are often not treated as a person, and more so not judged by who they are as a person, by if they’re nice, or what hobbies they have, like cis-people are. Imagine constantly needing to explain your gender identity, or answer the question “So are you like, you know, technically a guy?” Cis- privilege is being able to be yourself, and be known by where you work, what you do, where you live, and who your friends are. We might think “Ryan is my friend who’s transgender” is an acceptable statement, but ask yourself, how does it sound to say “Ryan is my friend who’s cis- gendered.”
It’s no mystery, being trans entails a more difficult life. There is a certain level of inexplicable pressure that comes from society, and a lot of which takes form in the way of privilege. So if you are cis-gendered, try to consider and be more aware of these privileges you benefit from in society. And maybe even tell yourself once in a while to “check that privilege.”
