Cisgender is a term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, someone assigned female at birth who identifies as a woman, or someone assigned male at birth who identifies as a man, is considered cisgender
. The prefix "cis-" comes from Latin, meaning "on the same side," contrasting with "trans-" which means "across" or "on the other side," used for people whose gender identity does not match their birth-assigned sex
. Being cisgender relates specifically to gender identity, not sexual orientation, so cisgender people can have any sexual orientation, such as straight, gay, bisexual, or asexual
. The concept of cisgender helps recognize and respect the diversity of gender identities and avoid treating cisgender identity as the default or norm, which can marginalize transgender and non-binary people
