Rain

Jocelyn 17th Dec 2013, 10:22 PM edit delete

Cisgender or cis (which describes a person whose gender identity matches their physical anatomy) doesn’t seem to be a very widely used term outside of the trans community. I often get that reaction when I say it. Gavin would out his friends if he’d finished saying “straight,” but cis doesn’t mean much to a lot of people. Just an observation on my part…

I’ve mentioned this several times throughout the comic in my blurbs, but someone will still ask what the collars mean here. They represent what grade the student is in.
9th Grade – Red (Chanel, Brett)
10th Grade – Orange (Rudy)
11th Grade – Green (Ana, Todd)
12th Grade – Blue (Rain, Maria, Gavin, Emily, most of the rest of the cast)

Just to clarify, of course. In fairness, this IS the first time I address it within the pages themselves. I shouldn’t be surprised people ask.

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Nightsky 17th Dec 2013, 11:09 PM edit delete reply

I still say Ana's Alison inside the Witness Protection Program. I'm just waiting for confirmation~

j-eagle12212012 18th Dec 2013, 7:53 AM edit delete reply

@nightsky
I'm with you on that one

Lex-Kat 23rd Nov 2016, 9:25 AM edit delete reply

:p Nice theory. But... wouldn't Gavin recognize as well?

IllCaesar 17th Dec 2013, 11:24 PM edit delete reply

I've never heard of somebody missing an entire year of school due to moving around unless they were a military family, going wherever the military parent was deployed (assuming it was a non-hazard deployment). I have heard, however, people use the excuse of moving around a lot to justify missing a year of school to hide that it was really some other issue, ie grieving over the loss of a family member. Shot in the dark, she could have medical issues, which I base solely on having seen that scenario before, and that her eyes' iris don't share the same colour (although a quick google tells me that more often than not it has a completely benign cause).

Anna 19th Dec 2013, 10:43 AM edit delete reply

I would say it is possible for a school not to recongnize the education or the result is missing so much school or having so much disjointed teaching you did not learn what they thought you should learn that year. Thus "holding" you back similar to someone failing classes and or having attendance issues.

Karen Lynn 19th Dec 2013, 7:17 PM edit delete reply

I'm subject to that. Moved a lot, had five high schools. Lost credits in moving because "We don't recognize that as a credit granting course." Then, with that removed, when I went to the next school, "It's a shame you don't have any credits for this course, because it's required here."

/rant

Guest 18th Dec 2013, 12:07 AM edit delete reply

I've totally thought I accidentally outed myself before by complaining about cis people but been saved by the person I was talking to (verbally, so easier to misunderstand) thinking it was 'sys' like 'part of the System'.

Jen Done (Tacopius) 18th Dec 2013, 12:28 AM edit delete reply

I think ignorance of the word "cisgender" isn't as frustrating as when someone insists that it's not a word, even when having the concept explained to them. One time I summoned the patience to explain that "cisgender" is a word that exists because it's a distinct quality in of itself and needs to be referred to explicitly and not just "assumed unless proven trans*". Otherwise if you use words like "normal" and "real" then you're implying that transgender people are abnormal or fake, which isn't the case and is just downright rude. Even after all that, the guy simply said "Yeah, no, screw that noise, I'm normal." ... -_-

Ranthog 18th Dec 2013, 3:36 AM edit delete reply

Cisgender isn't necessary as a word to discuss these concepts in a polite way. It does take a lot more effort not to use cisgender terms without being offensive. My first exposure to the subjects didn't involve the term. I think the word is pretty new as far as words go.

Personally I don't self identify as cis.

sophieee 18th Dec 2013, 4:57 AM edit delete reply

*cis voice* i don't identify as cis

Jocelyn 18th Dec 2013, 5:39 AM edit delete reply

This comment is essentially lifted from a commenter who explained it best on one of the other sites I post Rain on:

"Cis and trans are both latin words. Trans means "on the other side" and cis means "on the same side". Up until a few years ago, cis was only really used in chemistry, but people were sick of the opposite of trans being "normal", so they used the latin antonym to create an equivalent term to straight."

Greg 18th Dec 2013, 11:58 PM edit delete reply

Just found the comic today- read the whole thing, and I quite like it! Thanks for making it- it's very enjoyable to read :)

I've heard 'cis' mentioned in conversation a few times in the past, and it's always struck me as something of a verbal kluge. Seeing that definition, it kinda strikes me as being something of a tautology- transgender means you're cross-gendered, and cisgender means... you're gendered. The term feels like it's not really communicating what it's meant to about the life and experiences of the individual being described.

Ranthog 19th Dec 2013, 3:06 AM edit delete reply

Well I'm not sure it gets better than kludge when discussing gender in English. It always feels trying to shove a square peg into a round hole to me.

Caroline 20th Dec 2013, 11:07 AM edit delete reply

Not self-identifying as cis is the same as not identifying as white. You didn't choose to be cis or white, but you are still enjoying advantages from it all the same.

Sure, when you eat your cereals on Saturday morning or do your laundry or feed the cat, you can do it with whatever identity you want. But you must remember that when you apply for a job, go to the hospital or just go to the bathroom, you enjoy advantages that trans* people don't.

Please recognize your privileges.

Guest 27th Dec 2013, 2:43 AM edit delete reply

This has been troubling me. It is not a personal term for myself because I don't feel any attachment to the greater group. (The issues there relate to gender identity.) The term itself is useful, though.

I apologize, as it wasn't meant as a statement about others. I recognize the discrimination I don't face because of who I am.

Ellie 22nd Dec 2013, 11:31 PM edit delete reply

So THAT's what the collars meant? I thought it was a personal fashion choice, ha.

vorpal 24th Jun 2015, 11:43 AM edit delete reply

I didn't learn the term cis until I was about 26. It was part of what made me realize I was pretty ignorant of trans* issues. I'd already considered myself an LGBT+ ally, but it really opened my eyes to the wider community, beyond LGB.

no 8th Nov 2020, 4:15 AM edit delete reply

somehow when i first read your comment, my brain wove those lines together and i saw ¨i didnt consider myself a cis ally until i was about 26¨

Transginger 28th Mar 2016, 1:22 AM edit delete reply

As a member of the scientific community. I can confirm we use the terms "cis" and "trans" occasionally. It involves molecular bonds being on the same side (cis) or on opposite sides (trans) of a molecule.

Like this. This is a trans configuration;
. . HO
. . . . .\
. . . . . C --- C
. . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . . . . OH

I nerd too much sometimes. :P

Trismegistus Shandy 11th Aug 2017, 9:53 AM edit delete reply

My sister didn't realize she was transgender until she came across a definition of "cisgender", and realized she wasn't that. He [historical gender] had previously seen too-narrow definitions of transsexual/transgender and didn't think he fit them.

Comic 470 - Cis?

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