Twitter CEO Elon Musk has sparked debate on the social media platform after saying accounts could be "at minimum" suspended for using the words 'cis' or 'cisgender' as they are "considered slurs."
Tech billionaire Mr Musk took to Twitter to share the news in response to a tweet from James Esses, co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists.
In a tweet, Mr Esses said: "Yesterday, after posting a Tweet saying that I reject the word 'cis' and don't wish to be called it, I received a slew of messages from trans activists calling me "cissy" and telling me that I am 'cis' "whether or not I like it. Just imagine if the roles were reversed."
In direct response to this, Mr Musk tweeted: "Repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions.
"The words "cis" or "cisgender" are considered slurs on this platform."
The tweet sparked a fierce debate about the term 'cisgender', whether it is a slur, and the platform's treatment of trans users and their experience online.
Mr Esses has previously shared tweets expressing his belief that "Men cannot become women", saying he doesn't "believe in gender ideology."
In one tweet, he wrote: "I mean this in all seriousness. If you can identify as a different sex, why can't you identify as a different species?
"Because that is the dark road we are heading down."
People were quick to join the debate online and have their say on Mr Musk saying 'cis' and 'cisgender' would be considered slurs.
User Jon Kung said: "They turned woke from a word meaning enlightenment and awareness into a slur against others.
"They turned cisgender from a neutral scientific term into a slur against themselves.
"This is the harm appropriation can cause. Taking a page from the rebranding of the swastika."
Journalist Chris Geidner also weighed in on the debate, saying: "Elon, how many laws passed this year restrict the rights of cisgender people in America?
"Descriptive language, particularly when used to describe a powerful majority group, is not a slur.
"I'm cis; it's a fact. If you actually cared about slurs, you'd look at anti-trans hate."
In response to his reply from Mr Musk, Mr Essex put out another tweet. It said: "To those who have asked - this is not restricting free speech.
"I did not request, nor did Elon agree, to suspend accounts for using the term 'cis'. He is talking about "repeated, targeted harassment".
"What this does is restore parity and common sense."
Since taking over Twitter last year, Mr Musk has made multiple controversial remarks on gender identity issues. In April, the slurs section of Twitter's hateful content policy was altered to remove a line that prohibited "targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals".
A lot of users have commented on what this could mean for free speech.
One user said: "Nothing says free speech absolutist like unilaterally deciding words are now slurs."
Mr Musk has attempted to position Twitter as a "free speech" haven under his watchful eye, however, he has not been scared to implement ad-hoc policy changes regarding content he does not agree with.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines cisgender as an adjective: "Designating a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds to his or her sex at birth; of or relating to such persons. Contrasted with transgender."
Merriam-Webster defines it as: "of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth."
Neither of the respected dictionaries describes the term as a slur or offensive term.
Mr Musk commented on a Twitter poll after the debate was sparked, which asked if 'cis' is a slur. 78 per cent of those who responded voted yes.
"People overwhelmingly reject this obvious slur that bigots are trying to impose," tweeted Mr Musk.
When one user asked Mr Musk "What if someone self-IDs as cis? Is it still a slur?"
He simply replied: "Call yourself anything you want."
