# This guy's face creeps me the hell out **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683 "2012-01-07T00:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/41 "2012-01-09T04:20:12Z")
> [@Wikipedia](#): > > Filner was born in Pittsburgh, in Squirrel Hill. He _looks_ like a damn squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/42 "2012-01-09T08:48:04Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > It is my understanding that Ann Coulter is cisgender, but even if she were trans, she would be no less a woman than any other. I really mean no offense, but I feel compelled to point out that using terms like “cisgender” without providing any definition is a _little_ arrogant. That word is not in common usage. From the [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender) on the word, it appears that it is not really used anywhere except for the insular bubble of academic gender-politics. Why throw it out on this forum and expect us to know exactly what you’re talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/43 "2012-01-09T11:49:25Z")
I used to live in Filner’s district and got to meet him at a town hall in 2002. He’s a really nice guy in person and doesn’t look anywhere near as terrifying as he does in this picture. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/44 "2012-01-09T14:03:14Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I really mean no offense, but I feel compelled to point out that using terms like “cisgender” without providing any definition is a _little_ arrogant. That word is not in common usage. > > From the [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender) on the word, it appears that it is not really used anywhere except for the insular bubble of academic gender-politics. Why throw it out on this forum and expect us to know exactly what you’re talking about? While everyone might not know cisgender means, it’s not that uncommon to know that cis- is the opposite of trans-. And the context makes it perfectly clear anyways. It was used exactly how one is supposed to use an unfamiliar term. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/45 "2012-01-09T14:30:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > While everyone might not know cisgender means, it’s not that uncommon to know that cis- is the opposite of trans-. And the context makes it perfectly clear anyways. It was used exactly how one is supposed to use an unfamiliar term. I’ve attended graduate school and generally score in the 90+ percentile in the verbal section of every standardized test I’ve ever taken, and I did not know that. Nonetheless, I can easily guess what words like “magick” and “womyn” are supposed to connotate, but I still regard people who casually drop such invented usage into an unrelated conversation as bubble-inhabiting dweebs. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/46 "2012-01-09T15:49:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > it’s not that uncommon to know that cis- is the opposite of trans-. Yes. It is. Name me some common words that begin with “cis” where it mean the opposite of “trans.” I can’t think of one. The only time I have \*ever \*heard that term is people talking about gender politics on online message boards. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/47 "2012-01-09T15:59:31Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > It’s not about Ann Coulter. Ann Coulter is a cisgender woman. It’s about the implication that trans-women are “less than” and that being trans is something shameful and humorous. It’s about not hurting the feelings of transgender women, who have to endure a lot of slurs and discrimination. > > It’s not okay to use transphobic language because you are insulting someone “bad”. Just like I wouldn’t call Herman Cain the n-word. Just because he’s an asswipe doesn’t make racist language ok. > > I’m not trying to put anyone on the defensive or say you’re all a bunch of assholes. It’s something people do in speech a lot, and mostly without considering who it might hurt. I think this board is better than that though, and I think if people realize what they are saying, and who they might be hurting, they will re-think their choice of words. To be perfectly honest, I do not know if she is cisgender, transgender or alien and _I_ would have used the adams apple joke. I can remember it being used about Bella Abzug back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/48 "2012-01-09T16:08:29Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > I know you meant this as a lighthearted joke, but it’s actually a pretty mean swipe at trans women; implying they aren’t “real” women. It is my understanding that Ann Coulter is cisgender, but even if she were trans, she would be no less a woman than any other. I’m not trying to call you out, these are really common jokes. But I thought you might re-think telling them if you realized there are people who are hurt by them. 🙂 I meant no offense to transgender people. I apologize for my unintended misrespect. Really, I didn’t mean to be mean to anyone but (maybe) Ann Coulter. ETA: Is she really transgender? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/49 "2012-01-09T16:25:50Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Yes. It is. Name me some common words that begin with “cis” where it mean the opposite of “trans.” I can’t think of one. The only time I have \*ever \*heard that term is people talking about gender politics on online message boards. [Cislunar.](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cislunar) OK, not so common unless you paid attention during Apollo missions. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/50 "2012-01-09T16:42:17Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Yes. It is. Name me some common words that begin with “cis” where it mean the opposite of “trans.” I can’t think of one. The only time I have \*ever \*heard that term is people talking about gender politics on online message boards. Cisalpine Gaul / Transalpine Gaul. (Not common, just where I learned it.) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/51 "2012-01-09T17:02:34Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I’ve attended graduate school and generally score in the 90+ percentile in the verbal section of every standardized test I’ve ever taken, and I did not know that. > > Nonetheless, I can easily guess what words like “magick” and “womyn” are supposed to connotate, but I still regard people who casually drop such invented usage into an unrelated conversation as bubble-inhabiting dweebs. Good thing this wasn’t at all unrelated, then, huh? The poster was specifically talking about trans rights and anti-trans bigotry. And let’s not forget that both of those terms you mention imply someone is a dweeb just as much because the class to which they belong are also considered less than socially aware. I don’t think that applies to a trans person, nor to someone who advocates for their rights. I mean, it’s not as if someone who, say, uses sports terms is assumed to be a dweeb, since being a sports fanatic is socially acceptable. Plus, there’s the simple fact that _cisgender_ is a term any pro-LGBT person should be aware of, seeing as it serves the same function as heterosexual does amongst heterosexual people. It’s not a word used only by scientists studying the concept. When one says it’s used in gender studies, that includes the studying by trans people to understand themselves and how they differ from those around them. I wouldn’t expect any trans person not to use the term. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/52 "2012-01-09T17:15:47Z")
I think if the pro-LGBT side - which I consider myself part of - wants to win favor, they should not insist that people be familiar with all their pedantic academic genderspeak. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/53 "2012-01-09T17:37:47Z")
People, we need to get back to the important stuff here- like the fact that according to 18th-century German folklore, Rep. Filner wandered through the woods of Bavaria and ate the souls of children who disobeyed their parents. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/54 "2012-01-09T19:36:49Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I really mean no offense, but I feel compelled to point out that using terms like “cisgender” without providing any definition is a _little_ arrogant. That word is not in common usage. > > From the [Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender) on the word, it appears that it is not really used anywhere except for the insular bubble of academic gender-politics. Why throw it out on this forum and expect us to know exactly what you’re talking about? Ugh. This is going to sound arrogant too, but I swear I don’t mean it that way. This is a board dedicated (supposedly) to fighting ignorance. Using the _correct_ word in a conversation, especially considering that virtually everyone reading can highlight and google the definition of a word in seconds, seems completely appropriate to me. Also, that word has been used several times on the board recently, and every time the definition was given. At this point I thought most people on here were familiar. Finally, I _do_ read a lot of gender studies, etc. and that word is completely familiar to me, and I honestly somewhat forget that other people don’t know it. I wasn’t trying to come across as an arrogant dweeb; as I said, it’s the correct word for what I am talking about so I used it. I didn’t mean to make anyone feel bad or stupid at any time. I just don’t like transphobic jokes, and I think most people wouldn’t tell them if they realized what they were saying. Like calling bad things “gay”; it’s only by pointing out the implications that we can make things more inclusive. I made offensive jokes until someone talked to me, I feel like I’m passing it on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/55 "2012-01-09T20:46:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > People, we need to get back to the important stuff here- like the fact that according to 18th-century German folklore, Rep. Filner wandered through the woods of Bavaria and ate the souls of children who disobeyed their parents. What’s failing him is his photographers’ nearly universal inability to capture the whites of his eyes. The result is that his demonic eyes annihilate any generosity the viewer may have regarding his…large…smile and…um…ok, wow. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/56 "2012-01-09T21:01:29Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > What’s failing him is his photographers’ nearly universal inability to capture the whites of his eyes. The result is that his demonic eyes annihilate any generosity the viewer may have regarding his…large…smile and…um…ok, wow. You think seeing the whites of this guy would make him look _less_ demonic?!? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/57 "2012-01-09T21:08:05Z")
I seriously wonder if there’s a way to send this thread to Filner or someone at his office and if it would motivate them to get a new photo taken. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/58 "2012-01-09T21:09:06Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I seriously wonder if there’s a way to send this thread to Filner or someone at his office and if it would motivate them to get a new photo taken. Got his email address? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/59 "2012-01-09T21:20:01Z")
[Here’s his official photo, which is a few years older than the one on Wikipedia.](http://filner.house.gov/sites/filner.house.gov/files/images/Bob%20Filner%20color%20portrait.JPG) Warning: it’s not as bad, but it’s still nightmare fuel. There’s just something about the guy’s face with that long nose, wide mouth and cold eyes that makes him look nightmarish when he smiles. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683/60 "2012-01-09T21:20:18Z")
I’m sure Argent could spring for the price of a stamp or–if he feels really strongly about it–a telegram. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-guys-face-creeps-me-the-hell-out/608683.md?page=4)