intersectionality

[ in-ter-sek-shuh-nal-i-tee ]

noun

1. Also called intersectionality theory;. the theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual (often used attributively):

   Her paper uses a queer intersectionality approach.

2. the oppression and discrimination resulting from the overlap of an individual’s various social identities:

   the intersectionality experienced by Black women.

Word History and Origins

Origin of intersectionality¹

Coined in 1989 by U.S. legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw (born 1959); intersectional ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

Today she is the executive director of Re-Earth Initiative, which focuses on the intersectionality of the climate crisis and has a strong presence on Instagram.

From Los Angeles Times

“Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts,” Carrington wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

I’m curious, for you, what that intersectionality of Harriet’s character is as it relates to dreams and identity?

From Los Angeles Times

Eckstein embodied intersectionality before it was even a word, publicly demanding to be treated as a whole human being worthy of equality under the law.

From Los Angeles Times

But in the hands of the broader, and whiter, academic and journalistic left, it soon became a kind of cool catchall for progressive politics, alongside other buzzwords like “intersectionality.”

From Los Angeles Times