TRANS 101
FREIYA BENSON ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANS MEN AND WOMEN
As someone who is trans, and has spent most of her life thinking about what that means, it’s easy to forget that to a lot of people this is something completely new. There are new words, new thoughts and new questions, and it can make many people feel le behind, or out of the loop when it comes to trans awareness. Sometimes people want to ask questions to find out more, but feel worried to do so, because they don’t want to seem ignorant, or risk upsetting others.
Sometimes though, questions do need to be asked, to break down barriers, and to further mutual understanding and respect. The questions below are all real questions, from readers of DIVA and also from trans people’s experiences.
What does cis mean?
Cis or cisgender (now in the Oxford English Dictionary) is a term for someone who identifies with the gender that was given to them when they were born. It’s basically the opposite of trans (or transgender), where someone doesn’t identify with the gender they were given when they were born. To put it another way, if when you were born the doctor decided you were female, and you never questioned that because it felt right, then you’re most likely cisgender.