On #Cis [Sic]

The neologisms 'cissexual' and 'cisgender' were coined by Volkmar Sigusch in the late 90's https://t.co/KkhxJrldmS
Prevalent usage of the term Cis/Cisgender has since grown to imply the existence of a metaphysical precondition: something called 'gender identity' 1/

and some kind of weighing up of the 'fit' between that thing ('gender identity') and one's sex. As the theory goes, everyone has a 'Gender Identity' which 'fits' or 'matches' the sex which - again *according to the theory* - one is 'assigned' [sic] at birth.

Problems so far:
2/
1. 'Assigned at birth' is a term appropriated by Gender Identity Ideologues / lobbyists from intersex / VSD Communities for whom it has a painful historical resonance. Pleas for it not to be appropriated fall on deaf ears. The term has zero rational basis for application in 3/
most human births.
2. The 'Gender Identity' thing requires acceptance of the notion that humans have a pre-cultural capacity for orienting ourselves to modes of 'gender expression' i.e. dress, mannerisms, habitus, demeanour & so on. This capacity / spirit ('Gender Identity') 4/
is the 'thing' which somehow interprets its correctness or otherwise against one's sex. To expand on this process: a human male or female cross-checks the mysterious contents & characteristics of his or her 'gender identity' against their bodies and concludes a 'match' ('Cis) 5/
or 'mismatch' (trans / nonbinary). This process is hypothetically possible ONLY if one accepts the notion that one is born with an innate characteristic / spirit / gender identity amounting to a kind of checklist of what is & isn't 'appropriate' /pertinent to or congruent with 6/
our sexed bodies. Accepting that notion requires us to accept all kinds of unevidenced - and unevidence-able - assumptions, for example:
*that there is an innate & hereditable 'checklist' of socially & culturally appropriate modes of behaviour & expression for males / females 7/
which is unrelated to our physical being.

Clearly this is rationally untenable AND horrendously, stultifyingly, regressive & conservative in many ways.
Furthermore we have to ask ourselves 'Where does this checklist of do's and don'ts come from?'. If it is innate it cannot be 8/
culturally, socially and politically contingent, by definition. The problem here is that all 'checklists' of what is 'appropriate', 'pertinent', 'congruent' between one's sexed body and one's sense of self *ARE* culturally, socially & politically contingent. They shift across 9/
time, place, class, faith, ethnicity and multiple other axes. We all know this for categoric fact. The notion of 'cis' invites us to forget - or pretend - that we don't know this. That's bad.
The idea that there's a single 'cis' identity is rationally/ logically/ historically 10/
untenable. The gold-standard does not exist in reality. There is NO absolute / permanent model of 'masculine man' or 'feminine woman' against which one can measure one's perceived alignment. Everything about gender is subjective, dependent on one's idiosyncratic exposure to 11/
myriad examples, models, iterations, dominant and less dominant modes of expression. It is UN-measurable, UN-quantifiable and ineffably UN-'Cis'-able.

If 'Cis' can't live in logic (which it can't) then it can ONLY exist as an ideological or affective statement of in-group 12/
allegiance. As with all statements of group allegiance, the motivations will vary for each person: some ppl will say 'I am Cis' to show solidarity with others they perceive (or who they are told) to be vulnerable. Others will say 'I am Cis' because they see a strategic or 13/
tactical benefit to doing so - internal politics of an institution for example, or as an identifier in a group conflict the outcome of which they hope will deliver material and symbolic gains for them as individuals. Some will say it because they know it works as an attack on 14/
a material, structural, class-based analysis of material reality and power relationships. Others because it's what their friends - or people they need to be friendly with - do.

No matter what the motive, the fact is that there is #NoSuchThingAsCis and #CisIsNonsense

More from Health

🚨Important changes to lockdown/self-isolation regulations from 5pm

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers and Self-Isolation) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

£800 'house party' FPN & police can now access track & trace data

https://t.co/k9XCpVsXhC


“Large gathering offence”

As trailed by Home Secretary last week there is now a fixed penalty notice of £800 (or £400 if you pay within 14 days) for participating in an gathering of over 15 people in a private residence


Fixed Penalty Notices double for each subsequent “large gathering offence” up to £6,400

Compare:
- Ordinary fixed penalty notice is £200 or £100 if paid in 14 days
- Holding or being involved in the holding of a gathering of over 30 people is £10,000


Second big change:

Since September has been a legal requirement to sell-isolate if you test positive/notified by Track & Trace of exposure to someone else who tested positive

Police can now be given access to NHS Track & Trace data if for the purpose of enforcement/prosecution


This will make it easier for police to enforce people breaking self-isolation rules. Currently there has been practically no enforcement.

Data says only a small proportion of people meant to be self-isolating are fully doing so.

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