What is cisgender-privilege?

Cisgender privilege (cis*): the unearned benefits you receive when your gender identity matches your sex assigned at birth.

Nov 22, 2022

First off, what does cisgender (cis) mean?

Being cisgender means that your gender identity aligns with the sex you were assigned at birth.

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment sur Twitter : "Discussing #pronouns & #cisgender privilege in "Change the Story," from @HealthEquityCO. https://t.co/vuvSeYhbIf https://t.co/PzgqyVgILQ" / Twitter

So how can I benefit from a privilege I didn’t know I had?

Marginalized communities are often on the receiving end of disadvantages due to the prioritization of straight, white, heterosexual, bourgeoise, Christian, able-bodied and cisgender individuals over them.

Cisgender people don’t have to deal with the daily internal struggle of having to choose between either feeling invisible as trans when we “pass,” or being othered by being openly transgender and not passing.

The othering process that cisgender individuals engage in leaves many of those who identify as transgender as not being taken seriously, and their gender identity being ignored. This typically leads to the transgender individual being misgendered, deadnamed (referred to by birthname), and being tokenized by others because of their gender identity1 - something many cis people have nor will ever have to deal with.

Examples of Cis-Privilege

The Daily Northwestern | 'You have to make a choice': Non-cisgender students still struggle to find gender-affirming on-campus housing

If you are cisgender, listed below are benefits that result from your alignment of identity and perceived gender identity (i.e. cis-privilege).2

I can use public restrooms without fear of verbal abuse, physical intimidation, or arrest
I can use public facilities such as gym locker rooms and store changing rooms without stares, fear, or anxiety.
Strangers don’t assume they can ask me what your genitals look like and how I have sex.
My validity as a man/woman/human is not based on how much surgery I’ve had or how well I “pass” as cisgender (non-transgender).
I have the ability to walk through the world and generally blend-in, not being
constantly stared or gawked at, whispered about, pointed at, or laughed at because of my gender expression.
I can access gender-exclusive spaces such as the specifically “men’s only” or “women’s only” clubs, Greek Life, or being able to participate in Take Back the Night and not be excluded due to my cisgender status.
Strangers call me by the name you provide, and don’t ask what your “real name” [birth name] is and then assume that they have a right to call me by that name.
I can reasonably assume that my ability to acquire a job, rent an apartment, or secure a loan will not be denied on the basis of my gender identity/expression.
I have the ability to flirt, engage in courtship, or form a relationship and not fear that my biological status and gender identity may be cause for rejection or attack, nor will it cause my partner to question their sexual orientation.
If I end up in the emergency room, I do not have to worry that my gender will keep me from receiving appropriate treatment, or that all of my medical issues will be seen as a result of my gender.
My identity is not considered a mental pathology (“gender identity disorder” in the DSM IV) by the psychological and medical establishments; I am not required to undergo an extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care.
I have the ability to not worry about being placed in a sex-segregated detention center, holding facility, jail or prison that is incongruent with my identity.
I have the ability to not be profiled on the street as a sex worker because of my gender expression.
I do not have to defend my right to be a part of the queer community, and gays and lesbians will not try to exclude me from “their” equal rights movement because of my gender identity (or any equality movement, including feminist rights).
If I am murdered (or have any crime committed against me), my gender expression will not be used as a justification for my murder (“gay panic”) nor as a reason to coddle the perpetrators.
I can easily find role models and mentors to emulate who share my identity.
Hollywood accurately depicts people of my gender in films and television, and does not solely make my identity the focus of a dramatic storyline, or the punchline for a joke.
I am able to assume that everyone I encounter will understand my identity, and not think that I’m confused, misled, or hell-bound when I reveal my cisgender status to them.
I am able to purchase clothes that match my gender identity without being refused service/mocked by staff or questioned on my genitals.
I am able to purchase shoes that fit my gender expression without having to order them in special sizes or asking someone to custom-make them.
No stranger checking my identification or drivers license will ever insult or glare at me because my name or sex does not match the sex they believed me to be based on my gender expression.
I can reasonably assume that I will not be denied services at a hospital, bank, or other institution because the staff does not believe the gender marker on my ID card to match my gender identity.
My gender is an option on forms.
I am able to tick a box on a form without someone disagreeing, and telling me not to lie.
I do not fear interactions with police officers due to my gender identity.
I am able to go to places with friends on a whim knowing there will be bathrooms there I can use.
I don’t have to convince my parents of my true gender and/or have to earn my parents’ and siblings’ love and respect all over again.
I don’t have to remind my extended family over and over to use the proper name and gender pronouns (eg., misgendering and deadnaming).
I don’t have to deal with old photographs that do not reflect my current gender expression/identity.
I know that if I’m dating someone they aren’t just looking to satisfy a curiosity or kink pertaining to my gender identity (e.g., the “novelty” of having sex with a trans- person).

LGBTQIA+ Related Microaggressions

A3-LGBTQIA+Microsagressions-Speech-AW-page-001 — Royal Pharmaceutical Society | 2022

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