The researcher who invented the term 'cisgender' has hit back at "cowardly" Elon Musk for calling the term a slur. 'Cis' or 'cisgender' was coined by now-retired researcher Dana Defosse. They are used to describe someone whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. It is not offensive or intended to be used as an insult. Defosse first used the term in a 1994 internet forum, before being added to the Oxford English Dictionary much later in 2015. In an essay for HuffPost, Defosse explained how she invented the term: "I knew that in chemistry, molecules with atoms grouped on the same side are labelled with the Latin prefix ‘cis–,’ while molecules with atoms grouped on opposite sides are referred to as ‘trans–.’ So, cisgender. It seemed like a no-brainer," she wrote. On Wednesday (21 June), Musk responded to a user who claimed to have been harassed by trans rights activists. Twitter user James Esses said he "rejected" the terms after receiving "a slew of messages from trans activists calling me ‘cissy’ and telling me that I am ‘cis’ ‘whether or not I like it.’" In response, 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." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The tech mogul's response left many social media users baffled, with Defosse saying it came as no surprise after his "ghastly history of attacking trans people." “The post on Twitter has degenerated into a sort of free-for-all for antisemitic and racist tropes, so it sort of fits in with the direction that platform is going," Defosse said. "The fact is, whether or not somebody identifies as cisgender doesn’t negate the fact that cisgender identity is a valid construct. It exists, and it has meaning in how we operate in the world." The retired researcher went on to call his censorship attempt "cowardly". "Banning use of a word that’s part of our daily vocabulary around the world, that appears in the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s a cowardly and futile attempt to censor an idea which is, in my opinion, way bigger and more enduring than anything Musk could hope to offer," she added. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Australia’s online safety watchdog has issued a legal notice to Twitter demanding an explanation of what the social media giant is doing to tackle a surge in online hate since Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought the platform

Microsoft on Thursday will try to gain clearance to complete a $69 billion takeover of video game maker Activision Blizzard in a legal showdown with U.S. regulators that will reshape a pastime that’s bigger than the movie and music industries combined

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European banks are building out their risk models to better prepare for the fallout from climate change, with

Apple will start letting developers make apps for its upcoming ‘Vision Pro’ headset. The company has released its software development kit, or SDK, for VisionOS, the operating system that will run on the hardware. Apple announced its new headset at its Worldwide Developers Conference, earlier this month. It said then that the hardware would be available “early next year”, but that developers would be able to start creating experiences for it before then. Now it has released the first part of that work, in the form of that SDK. It gives developers the tools they need to start creating what Apple calls “spatial experiences” for the headset. Apple hopes developers will be able to “utilise the powerful and unique capabilities of Vision Pro and visionOS to design brand-new app experiences across a variety of categories including productivity, design, gaming, and more”. Next month, Apple will start holding labs in a range of cities – Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo – where developers will be able to submit their apps and actually test them on Vision Pro hardware. Apple engineers will also be on hand to ensure that the apps work on the new platform, Apple said. Development teams will also be able to apply for developer kits that will allow them to test their apps in their own facilities. Apple gave no information on what sort of form those kits would take – how similar they will be to the hardware that will eventually be released, for instance, and what restrictions they will have – or which and how many developers would get through that application process. Apple’s Vision Pro software is built on the foundational technology from other Apple platforms such as iOS and MacOS, and developers are able to use the same tools and frameworks to build apps for the new hardware. But as a “spatial computer”, the Vision Pro also requires entirely new ways of using apps, and so developers will likely need to test their apps on the platform to ensure they actually work as apps within the headset. “Apple Vision Pro redefines what’s possible on a computing platform. Developers can get started building visionOS apps using the powerful frameworks they already know, and take their development even further with new innovative tools and technologies like Reality Composer Pro, to design all-new experiences for their users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations. “By taking advantage of the space around the user, spatial computing unlocks new opportunities for our developers, and enables them to imagine new ways to help their users connect, be productive, and enjoy new types of entertainment. We can’t wait to see what our developer community dreams up.” Apple released the SDK, as well as new versions of its development tools, on its developer website. It is also publishing a range of tools aimed at developers, including new guidelines for how those Vision Pro apps should actually look and work. Read More The Apple Watch is getting some major changes this year – here’s why Apple seeks trademark of ‘actual apple’, Swiss fruit association says The new iPhone could have a major clue about Apple’s headset

Twitter failed to pay out annual bonuses to staff after its acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk despite repeated assurances from executives in the lead-up to the deal closing that the company would do so, according to a new lawsuit filed on behalf of employees.

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