Geek Feminism Wiki
Register

Cissexism makes the assertion that being cisgender is the default and being transgender or agender, genderqueer, bigender, third gender, genderfluid and so on is abnormal or unnatural, or flat out denies the existence/authenticity of non-cis people. 

Transphobia is an important subset of cissexism.

Forms of cissexism include
  • equating gender to physical sex and/or specific organs
  • assuming gender based on gender expression (such as style of hair, presence of make-up) or sex characteristics (primary and secondary sexual parts, chromosomes), and vice versa
  • assuming all pregnant people are women (excluding those trans men who are capable of pregnancy)
  • the phrase "women's reproductive rights" and saying men should not have a say when it comes to abortion (thereby excluding trans men who are capable of pregnancy).
  • forms that only provide an option for sex and not for gender, especially when physical sex is of no concern
  • assuming there are only two, clearly defined, sexes (ignorance or denial of intersex people)
  • forms only providing options for "male" and "female" for sex (especially medical)
  • assuming there are only two genders or that gender falls into easily defined boxes
  • insistence on clearly defined and expressed gender
  • imposing gender upon children
  • asking "is it a boy or a girl?"
  • providing only gender-labelled options of products
  • imposing strictly limited gender expressions upon children (for example, banning long hair styles for boys in a school)
  • imposing a permanent gender 'choice' upon non-binary people
  • denial and/or dismissal of non-cis identities
  • dismissing and/or denying a person's gender identity
  • ignoring a person's gender preferences (such as choice of call name, pronouns, gendered terms such as "boyfriend/girlfriend" etc.)
  • dismissing non-binary identities as fads or attempts to be "special".