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Elon Musk Says 'Cis,' 'Cisgender' Are Slurs On Twitter

'Repeated, Targeted Harassment Against Any Account Will Cause The Harassing Accounts To Receive, At Minimum, Temporary Suspensions'

Published: June 21, 2023
  |   By Christopher Bertman

Twitter owner Elon Musk said using the terms “cis” or “cisgender” was considered a slur on the platform.

Commentator and co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists James Esses said he received a series of messages from transgender activists referring to him as “cis” and “cissy” after posting a tweet saying he rejected the term.

“Just imagine if the roles were reversed,” Esses said.

Musk subsequently confirmed “cis” or “cisgender” were considered slurs on Twitter.

“Repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions,” he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Esses revealed he had been “bombarded with death wishes” and received direct messages from users calling him “faggot” and “cissy.”

“All because I dared to reject an ideological label being imposed upon me,” he said.

“These people, who are so quick to throw the word ‘bigot’ need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” he said.

In a separate tweet, Esses elaborated on the use of “cis,” and “cisgender” by saying “language has been manipulated.”

“The term ‘cis’ is used as a slur, to shut down dissent, to compel adherence to ideology and to force people into boxes,” he wrote.

Esses said he didn’t believe in gender ideology in his original Monday tweet, which spurred criticism from transgender activists.

“I formally and publicly declare that I reject the label of ‘cis.’ I don’t believe in gender ideology. I don’t self-identify as ‘cis,'” Esses continued. “Using this term makes me feel unsafe and is demonstrative of your hatred towards me.”

“Anyone who uses the term ‘cis’ to describe me is a bigot,” he concluded.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has similarly been criticized for rejecting transgender ideology, echoed Esses’ sentiment in a Wednesday tweet.

“‘Cis’ is ideological language, signifying belief in the unfalsifiable concept of gender identity,” she wrote. “You have the perfect right to believe in unprovable essences that may or may not match the sexed body, but the rest of us have a right to disagree, and to refuse to adopt your jargon.”

Musk simply replied, “Exactly.”

Another user questioned Twitter’s stance on the terminology, asking if it was still considered a slur if a user self-identifies as “cis” or “cisgender.”

“Call yourself anything you want” Musk responded.
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