Tone-Policing and the Die Cis Scum Debate*

riley-ferretboy-konor:

Simply put:  If you are against using the ‘die cis scum’ phrase (for whatever reason), that is fine. Do not use it. Express your opinions on it, if you wish. Discuss it. BUT:

  • Do not tell folks how to express their anger or other valid emotions that relate to their being oppressed. 
  • Do not take this phrase personally. (And if you do take this personally, perhaps you should think about that a bit more before you derail a discussion with YOUR feelings on an issue that is not about YOU.)

Using this phrase is NOT an act of oppression or bullying, but trying to silence the voices of those that express their anger and other feelings is. Being offended is NOT the same as being oppressed.

* Feel free to add to or otherwise comment on this.

C o l l e c t i o n s: Cis people: if you have to insert yourself into trans* spaces to say things like, "not all cis folks are like that!"

wanderlustprince:

… It is safe to conclude that you are like that, because you are turning serious issues that affect the trans* community about you and your cis feelings. By doing so, you are also assuming that we trans* folks should give a shit about said feelings and opinions when we did not ask you, and you…

SUBMISSION: Grammatical analysis of Die Cis Scum

THe issue i have seen with the “die cis scum” concept is a perspective being created by the words themselves. When the user of the term is attacking cis scum, they mean cissexist scum, like the radfems, WBC, etc. They are attacking all the people who are attacking trans* folks, all of the “scum who are cis.”

However, there are people who read the words” die cis scum” and read it as “die cisgender scum,” or ” die people who are scum because they are cisgender.” Because the term cis often means “cisgender” (much as trans often means transgender), there is a lot of confusion, as well as hurt feelings. 

Obviously (as evidenced by the thousands of posts saying “FUCK YOU FOR CALLING ME CIS SCUM” “NO FUCK YOU I MEANT THE OTHER CIS SCUM” etc, there is issues with the wording. If only tumblr could make the changeover to “die cissexist scum” and set an example for thee rest of the world….

Or you know, stop the cycle of hatred and not wish death upon any individual. That’d be cool too. 

_____________________________________________________

(TW: anti-trans* violence, hate crimes, murder)

Thank you so much for sharing this. You bring up several good points here.

However, I do believe that the wording of ‘die cis scum’ is fine. The main reason for the controversy is folks misinterpreting or misunderstanding the wording and refusing to acknowledge their privileges. I have been privy to some cis folks who get even more upset when these things are explained to them politely - which is not anyone’s place to do so in the first place. Often times, they turn the issue around so it is about them - cisplaining all over the place. They do not know what it means to have the privilege and power that they do. While I wish that everyone could get along, that is just unrealistic. Some folks do not want to educate themselves. Some folks do not want to get along or be respectful. Moreover, some folks just WANT to hurt others and bring them down any way that they can.

(Just take a look at various religious right groups, radfems, hate groups, etc. who particularly target queer and/or trans* people.)

There was once a time when I was a pacifist, but that time has long since passed, because - quite frankly - pacifism does not work in the fight for human rights. We live in a world where folks are governed by oppressive laws, taught to follow strict rules and guidelines for what is or is not ‘normal’, and generally led to believe that anything less than what society deems normal is some sort of threat or even inhuman. Trans* folks - especially trans* women of colour - are literally being beaten, killed, and/or imprisoned for protecting themselves with little to no media coverage or care from cis folks. And what’s more? They are BLAMED for what happens to them.

Whether cis folks mean to do so intentionally or not, hatred upon the trans* community exists. It exists in our own houses, in our families, in our circles of friends, in the streets, our schools, our churches, our advertisements, our stores, our public spaces, our media coverage, everywhere. Cissexism takes many forms. Incorrect pronoun use. Othering. Public outing. Misgendering. Trans* misogyny. Hate crimes - verbal, physical, sexual. Discrimination involving life-saving healthcare, protections, housing, etc. Exclusion from organisations, groups, and media coverage within the queer and/or feminist communities. Etc. Many cis folks and institutions also still consider being trans* a mental illness. This all needs to stop.

By saying ‘die cis scum’, not only do trans* folks who are being preyed upon have a way to describe their feelings and vent, but they also are letting cis folks know, “Hey, I know what you are doing, it is wrong, and I want it to stop. I am prepared to stand up for myself.”

We are not ‘stooping to our oppressors’ levels’. We are calling out oppressive behaviour. We are standing up for ourselves, because WE are the ones who are actually threatened day in and day out. WE are the ones who just want to live our lives and not worry about being assaulted or murdered, because of how we look and/or identify. WE are the systematically oppressed. And WE should not have to live this way. No one should.

When folks take a look at trans* issues, so many cis folks are willfully ignorant, misinformed, discriminatory, and unfortunately - many folks just do not care.

Find more submissions on the topic via my personal blog here.

SIGNAL BOOST: Discussion on the phrase 'die cis scum' going on at my personal blog (click)

Feel free to send your opinions, resources, personal stories, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: It does not matter how you identify or how you feel about the phrase. All opinions are welcome and open for discussion. However, if offensive language is used, it will be addressed. Also, anon is on for the shy folks.

To send brief submissions, go here:

To send links and/or longer messages, please go here:

P.S. PLEASE do not send messages to Project Queer through fan mail. I do not check the fan mail; therefore, your response will not be addressed.

Please continue to send me messages regarding the 'die cis scum' topic.

wanderlustprince:

I am currently working on a post about the topic. Feel free to send opinions, resources, stories, etc. It does not matter how you identify or how you feel about the phrase.

To send links and/or longer messages, please submit here:
Http://wanderlustprince.tumblr.com/submit