Elon Musk has declared the terms “cisgender” and “cis” to be “slurs” on Twitter, the latest in a series of escalating anti-transgender policies since the billionaire’s takeover of the site.
Musk wrote on Twitter early Wednesday morning that “repeated, targeted harassment against any account” would be punished with a suspension. He then declared, “The words ‘cis’ or ‘cisgender’ are considered slurs on this platform.” Musk, who handed over CEO duties to former NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino in May, did not specify whether his post constituted a new policy announcement or if it had already been adopted.
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Musk’s statement was written in reply to James Esses, a former psychotherapy student who has become a popular speaker and writer among “gender critical” anti-trans activists, like the so-called LGB Alliance. (Esses is also the co-founder of “Thoughtful Therapists,” an activist group that advocates “exploratory therapy,” which medical experts warn is merely conversion therapy by another name.)
On Monday, Esses wrote on Twitter that he “reject[s] the label of cis” because he does not believe in “gender ideology,” and that he considers anyone referring to him with the label a “bigot.” The following day, Esses reported that he had received “a slew of messages [...] calling me ‘cissy’ and telling me that I am ‘cis’ ‘whether or not I like it.’”
“Just imagine if the roles were reversed,” Esses added. Musk replied to Esses the following day assuring him that such terms were considered slurs on Twitter.
Of course, we don’t really need to “imagine” the roles being reversed. Cis people tell trans folks every day that our lived genders aren’t real and don’t matter. That is especially evident on Twitter, which in April removed its ban on misgendering and deadnaming from the site’s hateful conduct policy. Musk has also spent recent months following and promoting anti-trans extremism, including the Matt Walsh-produced propaganda film What Is a Woman?
It’s small wonder that GLAAD recently found Twitter to be the least safe social media platform for LGBTQ+ people, behind even Facebook, everyone’s least favorite melting pot of bigoted boomer memes. Between the increasing hostility toward queer people and the fact that nothing seems to work right anymore, if you haven’t migrated off Twitter entirely, it's time to start packing your bags.
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