Hello. My name is Stephen and I am Cisgender. What is Cisgender you ask? "Denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex; not transgender," according to the Oxford Dictionary. Simply stated, I identify with the gender that was assigned to me at birth based on the reproductive organs I posses. Cisgender or "Cis" for short is associated with the Gender Binary of Male or Female. I am male. I use the He, His, Him pronouns. Wasn't that easy? Of course it was. Now let me tell you what my Cisgender Identity means to me.
It means privilege. My gender identity meshes with societal standards that give me the ability to go about my day without much incident. I conform as much as they are concerned. I do not have to worry about: being mis-gendered, negative comments about my gender identity, denial of the existence of my gender identity, laws passed that inhibit and impact my daily life based on my gender identity, and/or violence against my person because of my gender identity; things that those who do not fall into this category DO face. It is a charmed life.
Beyond privilege, it means power. My gender identity gives me an added bonus. It's like being a knight-paladin with a +5 to strength and +2 to intelligence just for existing the way I do. As stated earlier, I identify as Male in the Gender Binary. As a male, society places a high value on my existence. World power is dominated by males. About 22.8% of world leaders are female while 77.2% are male. Eleven Women are serving as Head of State and 10 as Head of Government. In the corporate world 14.6% of women are Executive Officers, 8.1 % Top Earners and 4.6% are Fortune 500 CEOs (in the US). Power and decision making are tilted in my favor solely based on my gender identity and that is just within the binary. The numbers for other gender identities are insubstantial at best.
It means RESPONSIBILITY! I am sitting pretty in the Gender Identity spectrum. With my position, I can stand by and watch those who do not fall into my category struggle, bleed and die. Many do. But why? We're all human. How then can I stand by and let others be treated as any less? (SPOILER ALERT: I Can't!) When my fellow human beings cry out for help because they are being oppressed, abused and murdered, I have the responsibility to do something. I can educate, showing my fellow cis-identifying people that someone who is Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary, Two-Spirited, etc. are still human like us. They laugh and cry. They love. They live. It is up to me not to treat those who do not identify as I do as a "teachable moment" when I see them on the street. To respect their right to live without pageantry or spectacle at their expense. (You want spectacle? Go see a Broadway musical. I suggest Wicked. (But never Cats.) It is up to me to educate myself about identities other than my own. It doesn't take going to a seminar on Gender Identity. All it takes is treating someone with respect and dignity. I can bring attention to the injustices faced by all those who do not identify as I do, including within the Gender Binary. I can vote. I can write. (Oh boy, can I write. Right?) I can speak. I can hold someones hand, look them in the eye and tell them how beautiful and valuable they are in this world. Let's start here:
Hello. My name is Stephen and I am Cisgender. I identify as male and use He, His, Him pronouns. I would like you to know that you are beautiful, valuable and I am glad that you are a part of this world. My world. Our world.
