I am not a ciswoman

Yenlin Ku, May 2024

Recently I filled out an application form for a seminar on mental health and sexual violence in Taipei. The gender section offers three options: cisgender female (the Chinese translation meaning conforming female), cisgender (conforming) male, and other. After some consideration, I chose "other". Definitely I am not male. I am female, but nonconforming. For half a century I've been a feminist, dedicated to breaking the social constrains set upon women. Am I not a woman if I refuse to follow the stereotype of “woman”? Sojourner Truth’s centuries-old question: “Ain’t I a Woman?” echoes in my head, though we asked the same question for different reasons.

      Feminists have long taken the opposite stance of binary conception such as masculinity vs femininity, dominance vs subordination, culture vs nature, etc., for such division is repressively simplistic. One of the goals of the women’s movement is to give women and men more choices in life. Then to divide women (and men) into the categories of either cis or trans creates yet another form of binarism blind to reality. In terms of gender construction, some transwomen are actually more inclined to identify with being “women”-- and clearly wish to be acknowledged as such-- than most non-trans but nonconforming women. On the other hand, thousands of non-trans women opposing to the gender norms have been trying to subvert the gendered social construction. Waves of feminist movement surged around the world in the past two centuries bear witness to such efforts. With the purpose of social reconstruction, few of the women in the movement would consider themselves adherents of gender norms. In this regard, some transwomen might be considered to be more conforming than some non-transwomen. Could we then suggest that the former are more cis than the latter (especially in the context of the Chinese language)? Does it make substantial sense to force the cis-trans division on every man and woman as their personal identity?

When ciswoman and cisman become the primary gender options, it not only perpetuates the binary categorization of male and female, but further constrains the autonomy and uniqueness of individuals by locking them into a newly invented gendered framework, which has neither been publicly debated, nor legally defined in Taiwan. Popular in certain social groups, such terms, constituting fluid, vague and unpredictable concepts, can hardly be applied in official documents or gender statistics. When individuals are forced to make a choice between being cis and trans, I believe the majority would fall into the category of neither cis nor trans.

 "Cisgender" is a relatively recent term coined by transgender individuals to avert their marginalized position. Dividing gender into cis and trans may appear equitable, but it overlooks the far  more extensive array of potential identities other than the trans group. Moreover, for some transwomen, being trans is simply a process of transitioning to woman. Their desired identity isn't cis or trans, but solely female. Then, that leaves the question: who would prefer to be called a ciswoman?