https://www.reddit.com/r/QueerTheory/comments/1h65tn8/queer_perspectives_on_identity_politics/
created by gallimaufrys on 04/12/2024 at 02:49 UTC
15 upvotes, 8 top-level comments (showing 8)
I keep coming across the term identity politics recently and while I feel like I have a fair grasp of the concept, I feel that often I'm encountering it being used to argue that queer identities reflect a small group of people and queer views and issues are being over represented and basically pandered to. Particularly around the use of inclusive language.
I understand it more to mean that Queer struggles align with broader universal struggles for freedom of self expression, access to universal health care, right to self determine and what not, and when identity labels dominate conversations it allows for people who don't identify as queer to easily opt out of those discussions, and isolates and fragments people. It also seems to interact with race and class in setting standards of what it looks like to belong to this identity.
Where I struggle with it is on a practical point of view I do need people to know my pronouns in the same way I need them to know my name. It's a function of english language. I'm not pushing some identity politics agenda, I'm just going to rhyme time with my kid or whatever, exisiting. Its been coming up a lot more since Trump was re-elected, which is annoying because I'm not American but we import a lot of the US political conversations.
I would love some resources to learn more about what identity politics actually means, especially discussion grounded in day to day life although I don't mind theory, I'm just new to it and time poor.
Comment by ericbythebay at 04/12/2024 at 02:57 UTC
15 upvotes, 2 direct replies
It’s a pejorative used by the right as an excuse to maintain the status quo.
In reality, all politics is identity politics.
Comment by byrcamaya at 04/12/2024 at 03:08 UTC
4 upvotes, 1 direct replies
If you haven’t, Wendy Brown’s States of Injury might help!
Comment by Lastrevio at 04/12/2024 at 17:04 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Todd McGowan has an amazing book on the topic called "Universality and Identity Politics". In it, he argues that identity politics is primarily a right-wing phenomenon, and that the left is characterized by the universality of lack. His reading is influenced heavily by Hegel and Lacan.
Comment by DeathlyFiend at 04/12/2024 at 22:49 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What's Wrong with "Identity Politics" by Lance Selfa, found in *The Material Queer: A LesBiGay Cultural Studies Reader*
Comment by RuthlessKittyKat at 05/12/2024 at 20:05 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Here is its' origin of use. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/combahee-river-collective-statement-1977/[1][2]
1: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/combahee-river-collective-statement-1977/
2: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/combahee-river-collective-statement-1977/
Comment by FlyingRobinGuy at 06/12/2024 at 04:28 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Identity formation is an inherent part of human activity.
There’s a right-wing and a left-wing critique of identity politics. Unfortunately, the left has given up the territory of criticizing it to the right wing.
The current problem of identity politics isn’t really about the identity, at least not among serious people who aren’t intellectual children. It’s about how these identities have become shallow, cheapened, manipulated, marketized and redirected, under the current circumstances.
Comment by RaspberryTurtle987 at 04/12/2024 at 09:47 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I remember reading some Hannah Arendt at uni and what she saw for the future was some kind of identity politics
Comment by thinkPhilosophy at 08/12/2024 at 19:17 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I wrote this historically based introduction to what Queer means last June, might be of use:
https://philosophypublics.substack.com/p/what-queer-has-been?utm%5C_source=publication-search[1][2]
1: https://philosophypublics.substack.com/p/what-queer-has-been?utm%5C_source=publication-search
2: https://philosophypublics.substack.com/p/what-queer-has-been?utm_source=publication-search