The “Cis is a Slur” Phenomenon
Update: I am adding some additional information regarding the use of “cis” and “trans” in scientific literature.
A long time ago when “cis” was a relatively new term to me, I remember someone complaining about “pathologizing normal behaviour” by using qualifying terminology like “cis” and “heteronormativity.” It was as weird a rationale then as it is now, but it got me thinking, “This is why there are people out there trying to frame ‘cis’ as a slur.”
Nowadays, there are certain types of people bending themselves into pretzels attempting to paint “cis” as not merely a slur but a malicious, violent slur by playing word games. You see, I encountered some weirdo on Twitter, shocking I know, who implied that trans folk used “cis” as a form of verbal violence. His source for the accusation? A website on etymology for children. Everywhere else the word is used it means what it has always meant.
There are genetic research articles on a particular plant where “cis” and “trans” are used repetitively. Is this some liberal conspiracy to turn Rock Cress trans? Is “cis” being used as a malicious slur to make a weed feel bad? NO! This one particular paper is referring to cis-regulatory regions on Polycomb response elements and the binding of trans-acting factors. All of this is to figure out the epigentic responses of a single plant.
There is another article titled Trauma’s Trans-Generational Epigenetic Legacy; How Fathers Pass On Their Pain. That is quite the mouthful, and it has the prefix “trans” in there. What should we make of this? Should people blow a gasket because “trans-generational” sounds too close to “transgender”? Well, try not to get your knickers in a twist. It so turns out the article is elucidating a phenomena where trauma is passed down from generation to generation through epigenetic factors. Trauma has the ability to cause our bodies to turn certain genes on and off, and this biological response is heritable according to the latest research.
What is even more interesting is that epigenetic research reveals a biological cause for the transgender condition. “Cis” and “trans” are used in the same fashion in all scientific research and literature.
The term “cis” in its simplest definition when referring to gender means “not trans.” In Latin, “cis” means “lying next to” or “same side.” Most importantly, however, “cis” is seen as implicitly validating towards trans and enby folk in general, and there is the crux of the issue.
The reason “cis” causes so much friction with cis-heteronormative folk is that it is an extra qualifying term which adds no value to their own identities. It, when invoked, implicitly validates those who seem diametrically opposed to whom such terms refer. I seriously doubt this is consciously being done. It is mostly a reaction to terminology they do not understand or have a firm grasp of. To them, it is a feeling which comes from the gut, and if they happen to be a spoiled little git with an overt sense of entitlement, they cannot help but display their puerile remarks in plain view.
Allies and queer folk alike understand such terms as “cis” only exist to foster greater understanding, not merely to validate and definitely not to alienate people such terminology was created for, in facilitation of better understanding.
Just a little something I thought of. I hope it helps someone.
Xiao, Jun & Jin, Run & Yu, Xiang & Shen, Max & D Wagner, John & Pai, Armaan & Song, Claire & Zhuang, Michael & Klasfeld, Samantha & he, Chongsheng & M Santos, Alexandre & Helliwell, Chris & Pruneda-Paz, Jose & Kay, Steve & Lin, Xiaowei & Cui, Sujuan & Fernandez Garcia, Meilin & Clarenz, Oliver & Goodrich, Justin & Wagner, Doris. (2017). Cis and trans determinants of epigenetic silencing by Polycomb repressive complex 2 in Arabidopsis. Nature genetics. 49. 10.1038/ng.3937. Disruption of gene silencing by Polycomb protein complexes leads to homeotic transformations and altered developmental-phase identity in plants. Here we define short genomic fragments, known as Polycomb response elements (PREs), that direct Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) placement at developmental genes regulated by silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identify transcription factor families that bind to these PREs, colocalize with PRC2 on chromatin, physically interact with and recruit PRC2, and are required for PRC2-mediated gene silencing in vivo. Two of the cis sequence motifs enriched in the PREs are cognate binding sites for the identified transcription factors and are necessary and sufficient for PRE activity. Thus PRC2 recruitment in Arabidopsis relies in large part on binding of trans-acting factors to cis-localized DNA sequence motifs.
