The act of accepting and/or disclosing one’s true gender identity or sexual orientation to others, which can occur during any phase of life. In the former scenario, social, legal, and/or physical transition may accompany coming out. Coming out as non-binary was liberating for Dex, but it also made them worry about transphobic backlash from family members and co-workers.
An individual who has not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity to others, sometimes for safety purposes. Because of their unaccepting family members, Dylan decided to remain closeted about their gender identity until they moved out of their mother’s house.
Slang term for when a transgender person’s birth assignment, thus their transgender identity, is recognized by an outside observer, potentially posing a threat to the transgender individual’s safety. Jasmine worried about being clocked as trans whenever she used a public restroom.
The idea that cisgender people are more natural, valid, and “normal” than their transgender counterparts, resulting in social norms, laws, and individual behaviors that reinforce the gender binary and consequently marginalize, oppress, and/or erase the existence of transgender people (see: cisnormativity). Cissexism is based on the presumption that a person’s assigned sex and gender inherently align with their gender identity.
Adherence to the conventions of the gender binary, which may include conforming to traditional gender roles, gender presentations, and expectations based on one’s birth assignment. Cisnormativity originates from the presumption that cisgender identities, gender expressions, and lived experiences are more natural, valid, and normal than transgender individuals.
A slang term used mostly within the transgender community to describe cisgender heterosexual individuals. Maya was irritated when she noticed the cishet neighbors handing out invitations to their unborn child’s gender-reveal party.
A set of legal standards, social norms, institutions, and other contributing factors granting cisgender people superior civil protections, rights, and freedoms compared to their transgender counterparts. Cisgender privilege results from the belief that cisgender people are superior to transgender individuals, and resultingly, some transgender individuals consider cisgender privilege a form of transphobia. During the first few months of her transition, Tiana found herself feeling jealous of her cisgender co-workers who were able to use the women’s restroom without fear of being attacked—they acted as if they weren’t even aware of their cisgender privilege.
An individual whose gender identity matches their birth assignment. Chad is cisgender—he identifies as male and was assigned male at birth.
