It's a relatively quick and easy way to communicate that you're not an enemy and that you care enough to pick up some vocabulary.
Actually, I can't disagree with this more. I think activists often get into recursive communications scenarios that they don't escape for extended periods. They reach a point, through talking amongst themselves for long periods, that they don't realize that the wider world doesn't have a clue what their jargon means.
And, face it. It
is jargon. It shortens complicated phrases to easily packaged sylables. And that's actually a good thing. But the comfort generated by talking, writing, and otherwise communicating in closed circumstances makes them feel that jargon is universal, when--often, mind you--their own movements are divided over the appropriateness of the jargon.
If CM_albion had been inspired by the interjection of xe or zir or something, I'd not object to these responses. But they are actually responding, it seems, to cis. That's a different ballgame. Or, rather--to use their own words--a different minefield. You never know what part of what movement you're dealing with so you can't honestly know what jargon is going to step on toes and what jargon is got to please the French judge. Figuring it out
is a lot of work for someone who is just trying to figure out "how do I not be an asshole in this situation."
I might have more sympathy for the opposing viewpoint, if people who were sensitive to the failures of the general public, vis-a-vis this jargon, were equally sensitive to jargon not related to their personal cause. But, in general, they aren't. I rather don't like people holding others to standard they refuse to meet themselves.
I'm not hating on the jargon. It has value, as it certainly reduces typing. e.g. the expansion of "cis" to non jargon is not "normal," it is "people whose physical sex is aligned with cultural definition of their chosen gender identity." That's a lot more letters than cis. But for a rank n00b that's not super helpful. There are two bits of near jargon in the definition of the jargon--the idea the physical sex and gender aren't the same thing, and that gender is just an identity.
Faced with how deep the rabbit hole actually goes, it is hardly surprising that the civilians balk--especially given some of rather vitriolic responses they get for not instantly embracing the jargon. Let's not forget about the previously mentioned minefield.
All of that said, I rather lack sympathy for any complaints about cis relevant to WCDT. It's something CLaire said in a context that makes perfect sense, and no one is required to do anything but google to figureout what she's talking about. So there's no need to face any minefields of offended people to understand the term long enough to fill any context gaps in the comic.
Edit: Also--and I'm not joking here, just to be clear--I find "Americans of African decent" incredibly offensive. That may seem random, but I expect it will make my point for me.