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Excerpt from www.advocate.com
Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has begun restricting accounts for using the terms “cis” and “cisgender,” labeling them as slurs. According to the Independent, users attempting to post these terms now receive warnings stating that they may be considered slurs and could be used in violation of X’s rules.
“Cisgender” is an adjective used to refer to individuals whose gender identity corresponds with their sex assigned at birth. The term “cis” comes from the Latin prefix meaning “on this side of,” contrasting with “trans,” which means “across from” or “on the other side of.” These terms are widely accepted in social and medical contexts. The Canadian government uses these classifications in its census, and the American Psychological Association includes them in its glossary.
Despite the widespread acceptance of these terms, Musk declared last October that they would be treated as slurs on the platform. Enforcement of this policy began recently, with users reporting restricted visibility and warnings when attempting to post using the terms. According to TechCrunch, users who write “cis” or “cisgender” on the X mobile app receive a full-screen message stating, “This post contains language that may be considered a slur by X and could be used in a harmful manner in violation of our rules.” Users can choose to continue publishing the post or delete it.