intersecting identities vs. intersectionality

Intersecting Identities: "the concept that an individual's identity consists of multiple, intersecting social categorizations, including but not limited to gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity, class, religious beliefs, sexual identity & sexual expression."

Intersectionality: "the interconnected nature of those social categorizations as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage."

It’s a fact that we each have a unique web of intersecting identities that interact with each other in ways that influence our experience. Religion plays a part in that. It’s also a fact that many people experience intersectionality. Religion plays a big part in that.

Take, for example, a white, heterosexual, upper-class cisgender female who is Mormon. While her experience of all her identities are affected by her religion, her experience being female impacts how she is treated within her religion & how she is told to act & behave within her religion.

Another example: a black, gay, middle-class cisgender male who is Mormon. Again, while all his identities are intertwined with his religion, his experience being gay & black very much shapes how he is treated within his religion & how he is told to act & behave within his religion.

Let’s remember:

Understanding our intersecting identities within religion can bring further awareness of our experiences.

Understanding the intersectionality that we experience within religion can bring further validation to our experiences.

Understanding intersectionality of others’ identities can bring knowledge (& a chance for advocacy) as we learn about the disadvantages & discrimination others face within religion due to one or more of their identities.

We all hold a responsibility to learn how others’ experiences are different than ours due to discrimination, oppression & privilege. We all have a choice to decide what we want to do with that knowledge.

*You can read more of these posts on my instagram page, @religious.trauma.with.emilee