A cisgender female (or cis woman) is a person who identifies as a woman and whose sex assigned at birth was female. In other words, their internal understanding and experience of their gender aligns with the sex they were presumed to be at birth. The term "cisgender" comes from the Latin prefix "cis-" meaning "on this side of," which is used in contrast to "trans-" meaning "across from" or "on the other side of." Specifically:
- A cisgender female was assigned female at birth based on physical characteristics.
- She identifies and lives as a woman.
- Being cisgender is about alignment of gender identity with birth-assigned sex, and is distinct from sexual orientation. A cisgender woman can have any sexual orientation.
This term helps distinguish individuals whose gender identity matches their birth-assigned sex from those who are transgender, whose gender identity differs from their birth-assigned sex. So, a cisgender female is a woman who was identified as female at birth and continues to identify as such. This is a common experience, and many people do not label themselves as cisgender because this alignment of identity and sex is often perceived as the default or norm. However, the term exists to provide clarity and inclusivity in discussions of gender diversity. She typically uses pronouns such as "she" and "her" and lives in accordance with the gender identity of a woman. This is distinct from transgender women who were assigned male at birth but identify as women.
