Identity Politics (JMcQ) [La Lucha]
Do you really want to why the varied liberal movements, such as feminism, environmentalism, socialism, and the like have been slowed down from the rapid pace of societal change they once enjoyed? Simply put, it is due to the rise of identity politics in the various liberal movements, something that might not have posed a big deal, if the conservative movements of the eighties and nineties hadn't have used the same means of organizing that the new left did. For those who do not know what identity politics are, I would have to refer you to Todd Gitlin, who characterizes "identity politics" as "groups overly concerned with protecting and purifying what they imagine to be their identities."

Obviously, Gitlin doesn't get the definition of identity politics correct enough for my liking, but what can I say? He's a conservative writer and I'm someone who likes to fancy himself liberal. Identity politics are excellent in a closed system, where there is no competition for policy making from groups that diametrically oppose themselves to what the identity groups wish to accomplish. In real life, however, there are these groups, and they wish to roll back accomplishments that many take for granted. For example, there has been concerted efforts by varying individuals and groups to push back the effects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. With the unity shared by many a conservative group, the Civil Rights Act has a high possibility of being defanged.

But, what is there to do about this seeming onslaught of conservatism that seems to threaten to wash us, liberal America, away? Some efforts must be made in finding common ties between these identity groups and working more along those lines. This is not to say that no groups are currently tying to do this, as NGLTF worked with anti-racist groups and the like to promote an anti-racist culture among GLBTQQSAI peoples. Information must be the key to any future successes that liberal groups may make, so I exhort all of you to contact other identity groups and ask if various cross-group meetings can be enacted, speakers can be brought in, and the like.

Remember, though, that no one facet of identity politics is less important than any other. Groups should join in for the improvement of all people, not ones that an artificially-constructed hierarchy deems more worthy to promote. Liberal individuals must be aware of what is going on world-wide amongst all groups. Learn about the high incidences of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, inform yourself about the oppressive gender policies of certain theocracies, and learn about the brutal practices enacted by plantation leaders against union sympathizers in Central America.

We, as concerned individuals, must put up a collective shield to work against any other conservative intrusions against what individuals 20, 30, and 40 years ago won for all of humanity. For, if we shall prove weak in protecting whatever rights that were won for the benefit of humanity, and let the individuals and groups who wish to roll back policies win, we will have to win back what we lost before trying to make anything better than it originally was.


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