This is probably going to ramble, just so you know...
I get you on the "tranny" thing, in that it hasn't been that long ago that a mechanic who primarily re-built transmissions was called a "tranny" or a tranny guy. Things change...ten years ago I had to discipline a social worker for referring to someone whose lips were swollen with a descriptor using the n-word. In her mind that had nothing to do with using that word to insult African-Americans.
If you go on younger social media, you get a lot of exposure to uses of "lame" etc. as being wrong, but in other settings, it's thrown around constantly, as is "retarded." It's a shock after being on LJ and tumblr!
There are times when I wonder if all the focus on words is a set-up to distract us from things like the economy and, oh, yeah, we're still at war with folks. Yet, words ARE important. They're all we have to communicate our thoughts and feelings and attitudes.
The cis thing was very confusing and I didn't know if it was an acronym or just what, until I found the explanation used in lls_mutant's comment. I don't know how hard it would be to get used to using "cis-woman" as a routine description of myself but that may be an old brain issue. It's like, I don't describe myself as "heterosexual" when I'm in casual chatting settings. But if I were in a discussion where that was pertinent, I would. IF someone asked if I was a cis-woman, I guess I'd assume it was pertinent and say yes.
I learned a lot more about this kind of thing when I was researching testosterone usage and saw how many transgendered people there were, just in the subset of the ones who were taking hormone therapy and posting about it.
I think the arenas where it would be important to use the cis-language are pretty specific. I wouldn't use it on a financial/social message board I frequent: most people there wouldn't know what it meant and there's just now a movement to stop using "retarded". But I would on tumblr, etc.
I have no idea if that's helpful or not. Not my best thinking day.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2014-02-24 01:28 pm (UTC)I get you on the "tranny" thing, in that it hasn't been that long ago that a mechanic who primarily re-built transmissions was called a "tranny" or a tranny guy. Things change...ten years ago I had to discipline a social worker for referring to someone whose lips were swollen with a descriptor using the n-word. In her mind that had nothing to do with using that word to insult African-Americans.
If you go on younger social media, you get a lot of exposure to uses of "lame" etc. as being wrong, but in other settings, it's thrown around constantly, as is "retarded." It's a shock after being on LJ and tumblr!
There are times when I wonder if all the focus on words is a set-up to distract us from things like the economy and, oh, yeah, we're still at war with folks. Yet, words ARE important. They're all we have to communicate our thoughts and feelings and attitudes.
The cis thing was very confusing and I didn't know if it was an acronym or just what, until I found the explanation used in
I learned a lot more about this kind of thing when I was researching testosterone usage and saw how many transgendered people there were, just in the subset of the ones who were taking hormone therapy and posting about it.
I think the arenas where it would be important to use the cis-language are pretty specific. I wouldn't use it on a financial/social message board I frequent: most people there wouldn't know what it meant and there's just now a movement to stop using "retarded". But I would on tumblr, etc.
I have no idea if that's helpful or not. Not my best thinking day.