Cisgender: Meaning, Gender Identity, Usage, and Examples

For example:

• A person assigned female at birth who identifies as a woman may be cisgender.
• A person assigned male at birth who identifies as a man may be cisgender.
• A cisgender person may be heterosexual, gay, bisexual, asexual, or have another sexual orientation.
• Being cisgender does not tell us how masculine, feminine, or androgynous someone looks.

The term helps describe one kind of relationship between assigned sex and gender identity.

• She is cisgender.
• He is a cisgender man.
• They discussed cisgender identity.
• The survey included cisgender and transgender participants.

The shortened form cis is also common:

• She is cis.
• The group included cis and trans students.

Cisgender may sometimes be used as a noun, but cisgender person is often clearer and more person-centered:

• Preferred: He is a cisgender person.
• Also used: He is cisgender.
• Less preferred in some contexts: He is a cisgender.

Common Sentence Patterns

English learners may use the word in these patterns:

• identify as cisgender;
• be cisgender;
• a cisgender woman;
• a cisgender man;
• cisgender people;
• cisgender identity;
• cisgender privilege;
• cisgender representation.

The word should not be confused with straight, because one describes gender identity and the other describes sexual orientation.

It contrasts with the prefix trans-, which can mean “across” or “on the other side of.”

In gender language:

• cisgender describes alignment between assigned sex and gender identity;
• transgender describes a gender identity that differs from the sex assigned at birth.

The word does not suggest that one identity is more normal, natural, or valid than another.

For example:

• A cisgender woman was assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman.
• A transgender woman was assigned male at birth and identifies as a woman.
• A cisgender man was assigned male at birth and identifies as a man.
• A transgender man was assigned female at birth and identifies as a man.

Both cisgender and transgender people may express their gender in many different ways.

A cisgender person may be:

• heterosexual;
• gay;
• lesbian;
• bisexual;
• pansexual;
• asexual;
• queer;
• another orientation.

For example, a cisgender man who is attracted to men may identify as gay. A cisgender woman attracted to more than one gender may identify as bisexual.

Gender identity describes who someone is. Sexual orientation describes patterns of attraction.

A cisgender person may have:

• masculine expression;
• feminine expression;
• androgynous expression;
• gender-nonconforming expression;
• different styles in different situations.

A cisgender woman does not need to appear traditionally feminine. A cisgender man does not need to appear traditionally masculine.

Appearance alone cannot prove whether someone is cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary.

Many nonbinary people identify under the transgender umbrella, but not everyone uses the same labels.

Cisgender generally describes someone whose gender matches the sex assigned at birth. Because most birth assignments are recorded as male or female, the term is most often applied to cisgender men and cisgender women.

A person should be allowed to choose the identity labels that fit them best.

Examples of cisnormativity include:

• assuming someone’s gender from their appearance;
• treating transgender identities as unusual or less valid;
• designing forms with no suitable gender options;
• expecting everyone to use the name and pronouns recorded at birth;
• ignoring the needs of transgender and nonbinary people.

Using the word cisgender can help show that cisgender identity is one gender experience among many, rather than an unnamed universal standard.

Possible examples include:

• having identity documents that match one’s gender;
• finding appropriate public restrooms more easily;
• being addressed with expected pronouns;
• receiving healthcare without having one’s gender questioned;
• seeing one’s gender widely represented in media;
• facing less risk of discrimination related to gender identity.

This does not mean every cisgender person has an easy life. It means they are less likely to face certain difficulties specifically because they are cisgender.

Common examples include:

• she/her;
• he/him;
• they/them;
• more than one pronoun set;
• other pronouns.

Although many cisgender women use she/her and many cisgender men use he/him, pronouns should not be assumed only from appearance.

Respectful communication means using the name and pronouns a person gives.

It should not be used as an insult or as a reason to dismiss someone’s views. Likewise, a person should not treat transgender as insulting or abnormal.

Respectful usage includes:

• using cisgender only when gender identity is relevant;
• avoiding assumptions about orientation;
• not demanding private details about someone’s body;
• respecting self-identification;
• avoiding language that presents cisgender people as more legitimate than others.

A person does not always need to publicly label themselves as cisgender, but the term can be useful in education, research, healthcare, and discussions of gender.

Cisgender means traditionally masculine or feminine.
A cisgender person may have any gender expression.

Only transgender people have a gender identity.
Everyone has a relationship to gender, including cisgender people.

Cisgender is an insult.
It is a neutral descriptive term.

A person’s appearance proves they are cisgender.
Gender identity cannot always be known by looking.

Cisgender people cannot question gender roles.
Cisgender people may reject stereotypes and express themselves in many ways.

1. Cisgender describes a person whose gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth.
2. She is a cisgender woman and uses she/her pronouns.
3. He identifies as a cisgender man but does not follow traditional masculine stereotypes.
4. A cisgender person may have any sexual orientation.
5. The study included cisgender and transgender participants.
6. Being cisgender does not mean that someone is heterosexual.
7. The teacher explained the difference between cisgender identity and sexual orientation.
8. Some cisgender people use gender-neutral pronouns.
9. The form asked whether participants identified as cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary.
10. The word cisgender helps describe gender without treating one identity as the unnamed default.

However, cisgender is not a sexual orientation and does not reveal whom someone finds attractive, whether they want sex, or what sexual activities they prefer.

Respectful sexual and relationship communication recognizes that cisgender people, like transgender and nonbinary people, have individual identities, pronouns, bodies, boundaries, and orientations that should not be assumed from appearance alone.