Cisarchy is many things.
Cisarchy does not refer to any specific people or group of people; rather, it is a system. It is a system in which cis people are privileged at the expense of trans people, in which there is a clear-cut hierarchy in acceptance and ideology. It is tightly interwoven with patriarchy, and it shares intersections with racism, classism, ablism, et al. We all live within its grasp.
It’s also a word I made up.
“cisgender” refers to people whose gender identity matches up with their socially accepted sex. So if you’re male and you consider yourself a man, you’re cisgendered. If you’re female and you consider yourself a woman, you’re cisgendered. If you’re intersexed and you consider yourself intersexed, you’re cisgendered.
And if you’re not cisgendered, then you’re transgendered.
And similar to the notion of “patriarchy” I have now dubbed the word “cisarchy.” I kind of doubt that I’m the first person to every come up with it, but a google search and a quick check through a bunch of transgender issues websites turned up nothing.
So it’s mine! Just you wait as I sell t-shirts that say, “If I had a hammer, I’d SMASH the Cisarchy.” Because nothing says social justice like shameless commercialism.
